There are some people who are just destined for the water. In Kai Lenny’s case this deep connection goes beyond his childhood, making the most of the beaches in Maui, as his first name means ‘sea’ in Hawaiian.

The son of two ocean enthusiasts, he grew up exploring the waves, and with it naturally discovering his own incredible potential. At an early age this took the form of windsurfing before he diversified into stand-up paddle boarding, winning eight SUP world titles, as well as then taking on the sport of kitesurfing. This experience as a diverse water-based athlete led him to tow-in surfing in large waves and then foiling, bringing him a well-deserved rise to fame.

In 2019, Lenny became the youngest person ever inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame, aged just 26, and among his glittering accolades as a waterman won the Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge last year – an exhilarating competition taking on some of the world’s biggest waves. But beyond his sporting achievements he also gives back to the community and natural surroundings that helped bring him his success, helping organise clean ups to preserve the beaches for the next generation of aspiring surfers and beyond.

It’s this sense of adventure, of pushing boundaries, that has led him to become a long-standing TAG Heuer ambassador. His unique combination of technical skill, hard-earned expertise and daring spirit are qualities that are reflected in the watchmaker’s Aquaracer and make Lenny the natural choice to put the latest, innovative take on this iconic diving watch through its paces.

This update sees the distinctive design of the timepiece streamlined, while paying tribute to the rich legacy of this classic TAG Heuer family. The bezel has been subtly reengineered to make it easier to operate in all conditions, while the watch’s overall form has been slimmed down without compromising on its robustness, bringing both aesthetic and ergonomic improvements.

The handsome new collection is presented in 43mm and 36mm sizes, in a choice of stylish colours. And while versatile for everyday wear, it keeps its diving roots close to its heart. This means a water resistance of up to an impressive 300m, along with a strong focus on performance and legibility. The hour and minute hands have been carefully reconfigured to bring a larger distinction between the two, while easy reading is improved further still with green SuperLuminova for the former and contrasting blue for the latter. Powered by TAG Heuer’s ultra-reliable Calibre 5, the watch is an outstanding all-rounder – just like Kai Lenny. And to prove its performance for the latest TAG Heuer campaign, Beyond the Edge, he took it on a challenging underwater adventure that tested both the watch’s material strength and human mental fortitude.

‘When I put on my wetsuit, my instinct for survival jostles with my competitive spirit. But this competition isn’t about beating others – it’s about pushing myself beyond the limit, attempting to reach my full potential,’ explains Lenny. ‘Beyond the edge is that extreme point in time when there’s no way back, where you are 100 per cent committed and you have no option but to believe in yourself – totally. It’s beyond you, you feel powerful forces at work around you. Afterwards, it feels a bit like you’ve been to the moon. You see things you never noticed before.’

TAG Heuer Aquaracer from £2,500 to £3,600; tagheuer.com