Sorry Garmin — forget the Fenix 9, this Casio G-Shock pro surfer collab is the only new adventure watch I want this year

Casio’s GBX-H5600KI-5 Kanoa Igarashi watch has gone on sale It’s aimed at surfers, with a range of features for the sport It could rival the Garmin Fenix 9, which is due to be announced soon Garmin is just about to launch the Fenix 9 watch , and it’s fair to say there’s plenty of hype surrounding the upcoming model.

Yet Casio has just arrived to steal Garmin’s thunder with a new wearable that could take the air out of the Fenix 9’s sails — particularly when you consider who the devices are apparently aimed at.

Casio’s device is the wordily named GBX-H5600KI-5 Kanoa Igarashi .

It’s just gone on sale in the US for $370, which translates to roughly £270 GBP / $515 AUD — way cheaper than the majority of Garmin’s range, and the Ultra-branded rugged adventure smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

It makes up for its lack of a snappy moniker with a feature list that includes a tide graph function, plus moon, sunrise, and sunset info for optimal surf timing.

It also boasts blood-oxygen sensors, a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, training load powered by Polar , and more.

On the design front, it comes in a dark brown case with lavender highlights.

Because of the molding process, each watch has a slightly different look.

There’s a MIP display that sports the signature of Japanese-American surfer Kanoa Igarashi, for whom the device is named.

You’ll also find the number 50 on the wrist strap, which is a reference to Igarashi’s World Surf League bib code.

Designed for surfers (Image credit: Casio) It’s that surfing connection that might rain on Garmin’s parade.

Garmin’s Play Harder event — where the Fenix 9 is widely expected to be revealed — features a surfer as its livestream cover image , perhaps giving a hint as to what the Fenix 9 could be oriented towards.

But with Casio’s surfer-themed watch going on sale right before the Fenix 9 makes an appearance, picking a smartwatch for your surfing sessions just got a little more complicated.

And then there’s the price: the Garmin Fenix 8 starts at $849.99 /£749.99 GBP / $1,499 AUD, a cool $480 / £480 GBP / $984 AUD more than Casio’s latest effort.