The Cetma Shark Vela 85 Regular combines a compact setup with fast shots and easy manoeuvrability. Already awarded Best Choice 2025 by Apnea Passion Magazine in the Vela-system speargun category, it has now undergone further testing with our first-category competitive spearfisher and tester, Claudio Marconcini.
Claudio used the Shark across several spearfishing sessions, assessing its handling, accuracy and performance in real hunting conditions. Below is his first-hand review.
First impressions of the Cetma Shark
When Apnea Passion asked me to test and review the Shark Vela by Cetma Composites, I was delighted!
I had first seen and handled the Shark at Eudi Show 2025, the year it was introduced. Its versatility and excellent build quality immediately impressed me. My first thought was: “This is a speargun that deserves a place in any spearfisher’s collection.”
Shark Vela 85 Regular: the tested configuration
I received the 85 cm Shark Vela in the Regular configuration, fitted with two 14 mm bands and a 6.5 mm × 110 cm shaft.
Before discussing its performance, I should point out that I had always used conventional sling spearguns with circular or paired bands. I therefore expected a few missed shots while adapting to a different setup.
After a short adjustment period, during which I changed my usual aiming alignment, I began to feel comfortable with the Shark. The catches soon followed: small amberjacks and plenty of white seabream, mostly taken using a combination of aspetto and ambush techniques.
Handling and accuracy when doing aspetto and ambush
In my opinion, the Shark 85 offers an excellent balance of length, manoeuvrability and shot speed. It is easy to swing onto a target, while its lightning-fast shot makes it particularly effective for seabreams and other wary coastal fish.
Once I had adapted to the aiming, I found it precise and versatile across the different techniques I used.
Testing Cetma’s claimed 4.5-metre range
According to Cetma Composites’ tests, the Shark 85 Regular has an effective shooting range of 4.5 metres with this configuration—an impressive figure for an 85 cm speargun.
Naturally, I wanted to explore its long-range performance myself. At Apnea Passion, we always aim to put manufacturers’ claims to the test in the water.
For this, I chose one of my favourite fish, and one of the hardest to approach closely: the mottled grouper, known in Italy as the dotto. It is a wary fish, capable of reacting very quickly to a shot.
The opportunity came with a beautiful specimen weighing over 3 kg, which I shot from a considerable distance. That catch gave me a clear indication of the Shark’s capabilities.
I was using the factory setup, with two wraps of shooting line, and the shot extended almost their full length. Normally, the shaft travels too quickly for me to follow clearly, but on this occasion I could watch its trajectory because the shot was so long.
Despite the distance, the shaft continued strongly towards the fish and passed through it.
This was a real hunting observation rather than a measured-distance test, so it does not establish an exact range. However, it demonstrated the setup’s effectiveness on a demanding long shot.
The Power kit: an upgrade still to be tested
The Shark also offers the option of a Power kit, featuring two 16 mm bands and a 6.75 mm shaft.
With this configuration, Cetma claims an effective range of 5 metres, together with greater penetration at the end of the shot. I have not tested this setup yet, but I look forward to comparing it with the Regular version and sharing my impressions.
Verdict: a deserving Best Choice winner
After using the Cetma Shark Vela 85 Regular with different spearfishing techniques, I can confirm—and build on—my positive first impressions.
Once I had adjusted to its aiming, it proved to be a highly precise speargun, with easy manoeuvrability and excellent performance on seabream and other challenging targets. The long-range grouper catch was a particularly convincing demonstration of what this compact setup can deliver.
For me, the Shark 85 Regular is an exceptional speargun and a deserving winner of Apnea Passion’s Best Choice award.
