The future is now, according to daredevils who have taken a new water-powered jetpack out for a spin in Key West, Fla.

After strapping on the contraption, users can levitate above the water and soar through the air. Some describe it as a James Bond-like experience, without the annoyance of being chased by an evil genius.

"It's been my dream since I was a kid, to fly," said Angie McGregor. "It's just amazing -- I can't even describe it."

The jetpack is connected to a tiny boat, via a long tube which pumps seawater as the propellant. It has a top speed of 47 km/h and can reach a cruising altitude of 10 metres.

Those daring enough to take the plunge in a 90-minute session spend most of the time training with an instructor. With practice they learn to control their own movements while soaring above the water.

The Florida Keys is the first U.S. location to offer the experience. But the concept, according to the Jetlev-Flyer website, was first created in 2000 by Raymond Li, a Chinese Canadian living in St. John's, N.L.

After years of development and testing, the German-made product became available to customers starting in 2008, when Florida's Jetlev Sports Inc. received its license to develop production models.

"Freedom, exhilaration, adventure: The dream of personal flight is as old as mankind. In the 21st century the daring vision of Daedalus has finally come true," states the company's website, referencing the mythological craftsman who famously created wings out of wax.

The product retails for just over $100,000.

Earlier this month, New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams took the Jetlev out for a spin and photos of the event were subsequently published on gossip site TMZ.com.

The device was also recently featured on a San Diego morning news show. However, things didn't go quite as planned.

One of the station's reporters began to introduce the show from an outdoor yacht and boat show before turning to a jetpack pilot beside him who, on cue, delivered the line: "And it starts now."

The pilot nearly knocked over the reporter and accidentally plunged the jetpack into the water, before propelling himself topside again with a large grin on his face.