There’s something inherently cool about objects that travel through the air by themselves. This goes double when they’re obviously supposed to dwell in water (and gives you the option of playing a truly classic prank on the unsuspecting).

Cool as it is, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Air Swimmers Limitations

Firstly, while it’s not the Hindenburg, it’s really, really big.

You’ll need a large space in which to operate it. The motor runs off only one AAA battery, so outdoor use, even with only a slight breeze, will mean saying goodbye to your finned friend. It’s also, of course, basically a balloon and therefore on the fragile side.

You’ll need some DIY skills and helium to get it assembled and working. You can usually find the latter cheaply at a gift shop, but will then have to wrestle 5 feet (1½ meters) of shark into a vehicle. Alternatively, you can get a helium canister of your own, but these are not cheap.

Furthermore, it’s difficult to get the buoyancy just right so it doesn’t head straight for either the floor or ceiling. Sharky is also very sensitive to barometric pressure and therefore altitude. He tends to get extremely sulky at anything over 5,000 feet above sea level.

The remote control (and check that your purchase actually includes one, these are sometimes sold only as replacement balloons) also works using infra-red light instead of radio and is, therefore, a little wonky.

Why We Still Like It

Given all of the above, you’d be right to assume that this toy has more issues than a 10-year-old BMW. Despite everything, however, we’re still in love with this fish.

As long as it works, it’s just amazing to watch it “swim”.

Premium quality and user-friendly it is not – you’re essentially paying for the concept and the styling.