Costa Blackfin Pro Review: The Best Offshore Fishing Sunglasses

The Costa Blackfin Pro is Costa's flagship fishing sunglass — designed from the frame up for anglers who spend long days on the water in demanding conditions. It's the upgraded version of the already-popular Blackfin, with fishing-specific features that solve problems you don't realize you have until you've spent eight hours offshore in the sun.

At $212–280, it's a serious investment. Here's whether it's worth it.

580G Glass Lenses: The Clarity Difference

The Blackfin Pro's biggest advantage is its 580G glass lens. Costa's 580 technology blocks yellow light — the wavelength that causes the most glare and haze — while enhancing reds, greens, and blues. The result is a dramatically clearer view of what's happening below the surface.

What makes 580G glass different from Costa's 580P polycarbonate:

• Scratch-proof, not scratch-resistant. Glass doesn't scratch. Period. Sand, salt crystals, tackle box abuse — the 580G lens shrugs off damage that would permanently haze a polycarbonate lens within a season.
• Superior optical clarity. Glass has a higher Abbe value (a measure of optical precision) than polycarbonate. The view is sharper, with less chromatic aberration at the edges. On the water, this means cleaner detail when spotting fish at distance.
• 22% lighter than standard polarized glass. Costa's 580G isn't the heavy glass of a decade ago. It's noticeably thinner and lighter, though still heavier than polycarbonate.

The trade-off is weight and impact resistance. 580G glass weighs more than Oakley's PRIZM polycarbonate or Costa's own 580P, and it won't survive a direct hit from a heavy fly or sinker the way polycarbonate will. For offshore fishing where you're not casting heavy flies near your face, that trade-off is easy to accept.

Fishing-Specific Frame Features

The "Pro" in Blackfin Pro refers to a set of frame upgrades designed specifically for fishing conditions.

Sweat Channels

The vented nose pads include molded channels that direct sweat away from your eyes and down the sides of your nose. After four or five hours in direct sun, this feature goes from "nice to have" to "how did I fish without this." Sweat running into your eyes while fighting a fish isn't just uncomfortable — it's a distraction that costs you fish.

Eyewire Drains

Small drain channels in the eyewire (the frame around the lens) prevent water from pooling on the top edge of the lens after spray. On a center console running through chop, spray hits your face constantly. Standard frames trap water along the top of the lens, forcing you to wipe them every few minutes. The Blackfin Pro drains it automatically.

Side Shields and Hooding

Extended coverage on the top and sides of the frame blocks peripheral light from entering around the lens edges. This matters because stray light reduces the effectiveness of polarization. The more completely the frame blocks ambient light, the better the polarized lens can cut through water glare.

Metal Keeper Slots

Built-in attachment points for aftermarket leash retainers. Unlike the Oakley Split Shot's integrated leash, you'll need to supply your own — but the keeper slots accept any standard retainer system.

Hydrolite Grip

Costa's enhanced Hydrolite rubber is a co-injected compound on the nose pads and temple tips that becomes grippier when wet. This is critical for fishing: your face will be wet from spray, sweat, or handling fish. Standard rubber grip compounds lose traction in wet conditions. Hydrolite does the opposite — the wetter you get, the more securely the frame locks onto your face.

The fully adjustable nose pads let you dial in the fit for your face shape. A proper fit positions the lenses so your eyes are centered vertically and horizontally in the lens aperture, which is where polarization performance is strongest.

Frame and Fit

The bio-resin frame is Costa's alternative to petroleum-based plastics — lighter and more environmentally friendly while maintaining durability and saltwater resistance. Bio-resin won't corrode, warp, or degrade from repeated saltwater exposure the way cheap nylon frames will.

The fit is large: 60mm lens width, 16mm bridge, 121mm temple. This provides excellent coverage for medium to large faces but will be too wide for narrow face shapes. There's no adjustable sizing or smaller frame option — if your face is narrow, the Costa Broadbill or Oakley Split Shot may fit better.

Weight is noticeable but manageable. The 580G glass lens adds heft compared to polycarbonate models, but the frame is light enough that you won't feel fatigued after a full day of wear. The weight balance is good — it doesn't slide forward or feel nose-heavy.

Lens Color Options

The Blackfin Pro is available in multiple 580G lens tints. The best choices for fishing:

• Blue Mirror — Best for offshore and open water. Maximum glare reduction in the brightest conditions.
• Green Mirror — Best all-around fishing lens. Excellent contrast for inshore, flats, and freshwater without heavy color distortion.
• Copper — The versatile option. Works in mixed conditions from bright sun to overcast. Enhances reds and browns for spotting fish against varied backgrounds.
• Gray — True color perception with even light reduction. Good for offshore when you want accurate color without the mirror coating.

For a detailed breakdown of which lens color works best in specific fishing environments, see our fishing lens color guide.

Blackfin Pro vs. Standard Blackfin

The standard Costa Blackfin is $30–50 less and shares the same 580G lens quality. What you lose without the Pro upgrades:

• No sweat channels in the nose pads
• No eyewire drain system
• Less aggressive side shielding and hooding
• Standard (non-enhanced) Hydrolite grip

If you fish a few times a month in moderate conditions, the standard Blackfin is a solid choice that saves money without sacrificing lens quality. If you fish weekly or in demanding offshore conditions where spray, sweat, and long hours are the norm, the Pro upgrades pay for themselves in comfort and convenience.

How the Blackfin Pro Compares

vs. Oakley Split Shot ($170–230): The Split Shot offers PRIZM Water contrast enhancement and an integrated leash system at a lower price. Its polycarbonate lenses are lighter and more impact-resistant. But the Blackfin Pro's 580G glass delivers noticeably better clarity, and the fishing-specific frame features (sweat channels, eyewire drains) are more refined. Choose the Split Shot for sight fishing and lighter weight; choose the Blackfin Pro for maximum optical quality and all-day offshore comfort.

vs. Costa Broadbill ($180–250): The Broadbill is Costa's all-around frame — more versatile but less specialized. It lacks the Blackfin Pro's sweat channels, eyewire drains, and aggressive side shielding. The Broadbill is the better choice if you want one pair for both fishing and daily wear. The Blackfin Pro is the better choice if fishing performance is your only priority.

vs. Maui Jim Southern Cross ($289+): Maui Jim's PolarizedPlus2 glass matches or exceeds the Blackfin Pro's optical clarity, with richer color saturation. But the Southern Cross lacks fishing-specific frame features entirely — no sweat channels, no side shields, no keeper slots. It's a premium optics play, not a fishing tool.

Who Should Buy the Blackfin Pro

Buy it if: You fish offshore or in saltwater regularly, you demand the best lens clarity available, and you want a frame built to handle spray, sweat, and sun for 8+ hours. The fishing-specific features aren't gimmicks — they solve real problems on the water.

Skip it if: You fish casually a few times a year (the standard Blackfin or Wiley X WX Aspect at $90 will serve you fine), you have a narrow face (the large-only fit won't work), or you prefer lightweight polycarbonate over glass.

Final Verdict

The Costa Blackfin Pro is the best offshore fishing sunglasses you can buy. The 580G glass lenses are in a class of their own for clarity and scratch resistance, and no other frame matches its fishing-specific feature set — sweat channels, eyewire drains, side shields, and wet-activated grip working together to keep your vision clear through the worst conditions the water throws at you.

At $212–280, it's a premium investment. But for serious anglers who spend real time on the water, premium optics and purpose-built comfort pay dividends every trip. For our full comparison of the best fishing sunglasses at every price point, see our complete fishing sunglasses guide.