KEY WEST, Fla. – Visitors to the Florida Keys can now pretend to be, and actually fly like, James Bond, thanks to a new watersport.
Participants strap on a flight pack that looks like the one actor Sean Connery wore in "Thunderball." A 30-foot hose tethers the apparatus to a tiny boat with a pump that uses seawater as propellant.
During training, a certified instructor operates the vehicle via remote control. Once they get the hang of things, participants can control their direction and altitude.
Erik Adams, manager of the Key West-based Jetpack Adventures, says the Florida Keys is the first region in the United States to offer the experience. Another operator in nearby Marathon begins business next month.
Jetpack Adventures charges $249 for the 1.5-hour experience, which includes half an hour in flight.
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