Geek Review: Air Swimmers Flying Shark R/C Toy

When was the last time somebody yelled “SHARK!” at the office or in the mall? Well, get ready to hear it more often.

Thanks to ThinkGeek, I recently had the chance to play with the Air Swimmers Remote Control Flying Shark…Yes, that’s right, a flying shark! The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is a remote control shark that you can actually fly.

This R/C toy by Animal Planet is basically a giant shark shaped balloon with a remote control. To assemble and use the shark you need to have a source of helium. Any helium tank will do, but we used the Air Swimmers Helium Tank for $20.

Assembly was not hard to understand, but it took some dexterity and I highly recommend a buddy or two. If I were to build it again today I would have spent a few more moments reading every detail prior to starting. Once The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is inflated and assembled the box has an anchor point so your new shark will not fly away (clever).

The very first thing that hits you after you assemble and inflate the shark is its size, this thing is HUGE. The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is nearly 60 inches long and a full 3 feet tall. Make sure you have plenty of room and you take into account any transporting you may need to do in advance. I built mine at the office where I knew I would have plenty of room (and plenty of victims!)

I won’t beat around the bush: The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is an absolute blast to play with. The entire office came out to see it and everybody wanted to know where they could get one. The “golly gee whiz” reactions were everywhere (and a few reactions I can’t print here). One day one of my office peers brought their kids to work. They were set up in the conference room with a PS3 and a giant screen projector to keep them occupied. Well, they forgot all about the PS3 the moment they noticed The Air Swimmers Flying Shark.  The shark beat out video games on a 6 foot screen for at least 2 hours!

The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is a blast and I highly recommend it.  It was great fun for everybody who had a chance to see it. I want to convey a few warnings however about this toy. The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is a delicate toy and does not last forever. I don’t perceive this as a flaw by any means, but it is a balloon and the parts are made very thin and light to make it work. You can keep the helium topped off and use it quite a bit, but The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is not really made to break down and store. This toy is basically something you keep using until you break it or tire of it. I also can’t say enough how large The Air Swimmers Flying Shark is, please make sure you take its size into account.

Overall the Air Swimmers Flying Shark is a wonderful toy and it was great fun. Everybody had a blast that saw it. Even though The Air Swimmers Flying Shark doesn’t last forever and may be big for some rooms, it would make a great gift for just about anybody over the age of 3.

For a limited time, both the Air Swimmers Flying Shark and Clownfish are back in-stock on ThinkGeek.com and are on promotion for $29.99 each (regularly $39.99).  Visit ThinkGeek for fun gift ideas for everyone on your list.


Thank you to ThinkGeek for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.