A potable oil skimmer is in need to remove spilt oils before they spread, which is applicable to various situations of oil viscosity, spill location, current, tides, waves and wind. An air suction skimmer was selected to be developed because of its advantages such as simple structure, excellent transportability, and easy deployment. A prototype operating by a commercial vacuum cleaner was fabricated. Tests of the skimmer showed good performance : the maximum suction rate of water and suction head were 18㎥/h and 2.7m, respectively.