ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – If you’re looking for a way to beat that summer traffic and want to combine it with a scenic boat ride, Ray and Debbie Dyal may just have the answer.

The couple has been working since October on getting a new business lined up to provide water taxi service in the Orange Beach area. With two boats already in service, they are currently running a fixed route Wednesday through Sunday and are taking reservations for special trips.

“I think it’s a great concept for the area and I think people are really going to enjoy it and take advantage of it,” Ray said.

For Mullet Toss weekend, the company began taking reservations on the Monday before and was looking forward to a busy weekend.

“Like on special events and the traffic,” Debbie said. “This beats just sitting there and sitting there.”

The basic route is from the Flora-Bama to San Roc Cay to Tacky Jack’s to Orange Beach Marina and to Shipp’s Harbor Grille. Then the boat doubles back to take the same route in reverse.

Ray says a deal is in the works to add at stop at Outcast Marina to serve the Caribe Resort and Cobalt restaurant. It costs $15 to ride in the high-density area and more for reserved trips and trip further west on the canal to Bear Point, Pirate’s Cove or LuLu’s.

Their company, Reel Fun Charters, also offers inshore fishing trips.

When Ray first had the idea, Debbie had an immediate reaction.

“Are you nuts?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s been challenging, but it’s been rewarding."

Her first job was spending many hours getting all the licenses squared away.

“If somebody was selling a license, we bought it,” Ray said.

Another hurdle was finding their place under current city of Orange Beach ordinances and laws. There wasn’t one.

So for the Dyals to be able to operate a business, it had to be labeled in the city code so the city passed an ordinance dealing specifically with water taxis.

“Us being the first water taxi to go through the process, now we do have an ordinance and we have met all the criteria and that street’s paved,” he said. “It’s in place now. One thing that I do appreciate about the city is they were expeditious about it.”

Under the city ordinance, the water taxis run the regular route on the water. With the charter licenses, Dyal says he can take reservations and do some special events and fishing trips.

“As far as Orange Beach goes and the ordinance, we are good on any of the commercial marinas,” Ray said. “If we’re operating a charter business, we’re good to stop anywhere.

“Take for instance someone on Ono Island. They can call and say ‘Ray, I want you to come pick us up on Saturday night’ and I’m going to give them a price for a charter on one of the boats to pick them up and take them wherever they want to go. And bring ‘em home.”

Ray and Debbie hope their business, while slow right now, will become an asset to the community.

“The whole Idea is we want to provide an alternate source of transportation to our friends and neighbors who are fortunate enough to live in this beautiful area year round, and also our guests that come in for vacations,” Ray said. “It’s been slow because we’ve been between seasons. We’re looking forward to just a great summer.

Ray said that other water-based businesses, the city and friends and acquaintances have offered encouragement.

“Everybody has just been absolutely in favor of it and supportive of it,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot of encouragement from people we know and decided to move forward with it. I’ve never done anything that I’ve had such an incredible response from.”

Ray says he has a deck boat and a Panga boat and is looking to buy another Panga boat to add to the fleet.