Matt Wilkinson and Joel Parkinson were among five Australians to win their round-one heats at the World Surf League event in Tahiti.
With the 12 heat winners on Saturday progressing straight through to round three, tour points leader Wilkinson and 2012 world champion Parkinson will be joined there by Adrian Buchan, Julian Wilson and Connor O'Leary.
"Coming back here year after year gives you confidence to be in the right spot," 2013 event winner Buchan said.
"I've been coming to Tahiti for over a decade and I've never brought my family so it's really nice to be here all together this year.
"I'm feeling happy and relaxed and it was exciting to put the jersey back on today.
"I just love competing and my competitive fire has never dulled for me. I'm still just as driven as I ever was and there are still things I want to achieve in my career."
The other round-one heat winners included defending world champion John John Florence and Brazil's Gabriel Medina.
In round-two action, Mick Fanning -- who was pipped by American Kolohe Andino in round one -- took advantage of a solid 7.50 opening wave to account for fellow Aussie Josh Kerr 13.00 to 8.16.
"It's always hard going up against a friend but that's the way it goes. It all came down to the first wave and, if I didn't get it, we would have been neck and neck," Fanning said.
World No.4 Owen Wright was too consistent for Spain's Aritz Aranburu to win their heat 14.50 to 12.10.
Wright said Aranburu was so good in the barrel so he knew he was going to be dangerous.
"He got the highest score of the heat so I'm really happy it went my way. At the start of the year, I was just focused on health but now being in the title race is where I want to be."
Teenage Australian surfer Ethan Ewing accounted for Brazilian world No.7 Filipe Toledo 10.06 to 6.56.
Ewing said his confidence hadn't been been very high in 2017.
"It hasn't been going my way this year so I'm happy to get that one.
"This year I've learnt to shake off my losses. I've been really hard on myself so I'm focusing on looking forward to the next event so I'm just really happy to make it through."
