Session of the Season // Southern Hemisphere Winter 2025 // Wade’s Bank Raid

For the second season in a row, C-Skins’ Australian powerhouse Wade Carmichael has clinched our Session of the Season title with a flawless stand-up tube. In Autumn he was on home turf for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, before a winter of trips including an Mentawai boat trip and some time spent in South Africa at J-Bay. He picked up a nasty hammy injury half way through that boat trip, but not before enjoying the view out of this Bank Vault barrel. We checked in with Wade and photographer Simon “Swilly” Williams to get the low-down behind this wave.

Date: Mid-June 2025

Swell height and period: 6 feet at 12 seconds

Wind direction and strength: Wind was pretty much dead still in amongst the rain

Location: Bank Vault, Mentawaii Islands, Sumatra, Indonesia: Indonesia

Board: 6’1 Rusty Keg Round Tail

Wetsuit: C-Skins Nuwave UV Skins Basics Mens’ Long Sleeve Vest with Rusty boardies

Can you tell us about this run of swell…

Swilly: This shot of Wade was from a session on day three of the mid June Rusty trip to the Mentawai Islands. It was a trip that had so many unfortunate things happen: The boat broke down twice, and on day five of the 10 day trip Wade had to leave to get home due to him ripping his hamstring off the bone.
However in amongst all of these disasters we scored four days of pumping waves.

Wade: The swell had been small for the first two days, and the afternoon before this day the swell picked up and we had a really good hour before dark.

And this particular day?

Swilly: This was shot at Bank Vaults. It’s not one of the A-grade waves in the region, but it was sure as hell trying it's best to be A-grade on this day!

Wade: We woke up on day three and it was a little bigger and the direction was perfect. It only took a three-wave set to wax up and get out there, and we had bowls and tubes all day. I surfed three times and it was just as fun as it gets.

Talk us through this wave…

Swilly: This wave was late in the afternoon on day three. Wade just playing in the power.

Wade: This was one of my first waves of the last session and started off the session perfectly. Froth levels were very high!