C4 has entered a new segment of the freediving and spearfishing fins, the glass fiber one, and with the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari they have created what is definitely a winning product, and the market will soon confirm this. Performance, lightness, ease of use and incredible Value for Money make the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari glass fiber fins the Best Choice 2025, and at the same time the Best Value 2025, thanks to the amazing price of only 179€ for a complete set of fins…wow!
The reviews of the Apnea Passion Freediving and Spearfishing Team athletes
At the International Awards Camp 2025, for the testing of the 2025 eligible freediving and spearfishing products for the Best Choice 2025, ALL the Apnea Passion Team athletes have been impressed with the performance of the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins. The Best Choice 2025 award for the best glass fiber fins was assigned unanimously, both by freedivers and spearos, also with clear indication that these fins outperform also a lot of good quality carbon fiber ones.
Michele Tomasi – “The Professor”
Michele Tomasi is the Italian Outdoor Technical Director and Former CWT Record Holder in the lake – “The first day of testing I dove with an 8 mm jacket, 5 pants, 1.5 mm socks, 7 kgs weight. I immediately had a great feeling with the C4 fins. The comfort of the foot pockets was very good, the use of the fins great fun and also high performance. Coming up from 32 meters the legs were not at all heavy. The second day I have tested with 5 mm wetsuit, 1.5mm socks and 4 kgs. The C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins have confirmed to be the best fins of the Camp, even beyond many carbon fiber fins we have tested. In first position for the Best Choice 2025, among the fiberglass fins, but definitely great performers also among the carbon fiber ones, I would definitely put the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari”.
Luciano Morelli, “The Champ”
Luciano Morelli, “The Champ” has been Silver and Bronze medal DYN, and is Apnea Academy Instructor – “I tested the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins, stiffness 25 – I was surprised by their lightness in the water, comparable to carbon. Excellent speed during surface movements, leaving the muscles free from excessive strain. In constant weight dives, they perform effectively and smoothly down to 30 meters, with great push-off from the bottom and a fluid kick that doesn’t tire the muscles.”
Gaspare Battaglia, “Mental Coach”
Gaspare Battaglia is former World Record in STA apnea, and Metal Coach, but also a strong athlete in DYN and CWT – “At the Apnea Passion Camp I tested the new C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins with stiffness 25 blades, and the first impression was immediately clear: this is a fin that follows, not commands. I’m a freediver who prefers a soft blade in every context, both in constant weight and spearfishing, and choosing the 25 over the 30 turned out to be perfect.
Ascents from 30 meters confirmed a well-balanced mix of thrust and lightness: the blade returns energy progressively, never straining the ankles, and allows excellent oxygen economy. The fiberglass construction offers less explosive reactivity compared to carbon, but with a smoothness that delivers a natural feel and great control in rhythm changes. The foot pocket, comfortable even after repeated sessions, completes a setup I would call versatile and reliable.
In conclusion, the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins are ideal for those who enjoy long spearfishing or deep training sessions and are looking for a fin that’s kind to the body but effective when needed.
Fabio Mura, “The Windsurfer”
Fabio Mura, “The Windsurfer”, is a strong and expert Sardinian Spearo, Spearfishing and Apnea instructor, and Windsurfer – “I tried the 25 hardness. Even though I am pretty heavy, when I started using the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins I really felt good, so good I checked that I was really testing glass fiber fins. The foot pocket I knew and they are the best ones on the market in my opinion, at least for my feet. The blade really impressed me. First of all because it is not excessively long, as I do not love that kind of design, but instead they pushed really well.
There was no fatigue during my finning, really as higher category fins, and just as high quality carbon fiber fins. The only open point is durability, as I dive a lot and almost all year long, but this applies to any composite blade fin. We will go on with the testing and inform our readers, but they are definitely the 2025 Best Choice by Apnea Passion winners”.
Gianni Bicchi, “Mr Smart”
Gianni Bicchi is an Apnea Academy Instructor and Member of ASD Apnea Lab. Smart in all he does and a Vulcano of ideas – “I have tested the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins in CWT and they are impressive. I generally have a very good opinion of glass fiber fins, but these go beyond. The blade of the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins (along with the foot pocket, of course) is characterized by a lightness close to carbon, but above all by an elasticity that ensures an effective response without excessive strain on the major muscle groups. These features make them ideal fins for long sessions in the water.
In my opinion, they offer various advantages in terms of cost-performance ratio as well as greater ease of use compared to carbon, making them an optimal choice for training sessions. They are perfect for athletes in training as well as for advanced freedivers before transitioning to carbon fins.
Roberto Poggioli – “The Animal”
Roberto Poggioli, “The Animal” as he calls himself, since he adapts to any condition at sea, is an undiscussed amazingly strong spearo, first category Italian spearfishing athlete and member of the Club Azzurro Italian team – “I have tested the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari spearfishing from 0 to -30 meters and I must say that comfort and performance are excellent in these conditions“.
Claudio Marconcini – “The Specialist”
Claudio Marconcini, “The Specialist”, is a first category Italian spearfishing athlete, extremely technical reviewing the products, and for this reason one of the key testers of the team – “The C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins (stiffness 25) are excellent fins! I used them for an entire day of spearfishing, diving from 3 to 25 meters, and they performed excellently both on the surface and during the push-off from the bottom and ascent. They didn’t tire my legs despite several kilometers of swimming, and I didn’t miss having some of the more renowned carbon fins on my feet. I also found the foot pocket comfortable.”
Sara Gonnelli, “The Siren”
Sara Gonnelli, “The Siren” as the only woman of the Team, is an Apnea Academy Instructor, strong tester, but also able of evaluating the aestetical design of each product more than anyone else – “Excellent. The blade provides good thrust, adaptable depending on stiffness, and offers great rebound, but the real excellence is in the foot pocket. Comfortable, soft to the touch, with a nice fit. The aesthetical design could be improved compared to other fins on the market, but this is the only detail. The price is very good, also considering the foot pocket can be used with a C4 carbon blade to make an upgrade.”
Davide Tummolillo “Mr Smile”
Davide Tummolillo is an Apnea Academy Instructor and strong DYN athlete, and “Mr Smile” is simply because his smile brings positivity to the entire team – “Very, very performing fins, of course as reference to the glass fiber fins, and in such category they are definitely the best. They are even better than many carbon fiber fins, even though not at the level of the very best ones of course. I felt the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari very soft, the blade is very reactive requiring low effort.
This sensation I felt in particular at the beginning of the dive, just after the duck dive and coming up at the start of the ascent phase: the fins give you great thrust and confidence in every moment. The fins do not tire the legs, and after many dives I had no feeling of fatigue. Also, the foot pocket is soft, wraps the foot well without any feeling of constraint. Overall really great fins, I have been positively surprized by these glass fiber blade fins!”
Best Choice and Best Value 2025
Carlo Forni – “The C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins are definitely the winners of the Best Choice 2025 in the glass fiber blade fins category, but are amazing competitors also in the carbon fiber one. The vote of the entire Apnea Passion Team has been unanimous. The fins are highly performing, also in surface transfers, light on the legs with reduced fatigue, comfortable and easy, with the C4 250 foot pocket putting additional comfort and performance to the offer. All this at a very interesting price of only 179€ giving the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari also the 2025 Best Value by Apnea Passion Award. These fins, in fact, have a very strong position both as competitive offer for starters who want to spend just a little more than the cost of the best polymer blade fins, having a more performing and lighter solution.
Looking up at carbon fiber blade solutions, the performance of the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari fins is amazing, better than many carbon fiber fins and close to the best ones. All this at a price which is less that 50% the price of good carbon fiber blade fins. Not only. The fact that the C4 FBG mount the C4 250 foot pockets, means that if one wants to move up to the best carbon fiber, which for us today are the C4 MB002, confirmed Best Choice by Apnea Passion also in 2025 among the carbon fiber offer, he or she can simply buy the blades keeping the foot pockets. Today the C4 FBG Umberto Pelizzari are not only for beginners or more expert spearos and freedivers, they can really be the performing, low fatigue, easy and fun solution from starter to expert.”
