AFPAfter three lay days, a small window of ideal wind conditions produced 12-to-15 foot waves, allowing the second round of the fourth event on the ASP World Tour calendar to be completed.
Durbridge got through a tough battle with fellow Australian Adam Melling, scoring 15.43 in the opening heat of the day.
“Those were the biggest most perfect waves I’ve ever surfed,” Durbidge said. “It was pretty nerve-wracking being first up. We were on and then off and then on again. You have to be prepared to go.
"I think everyone on tour is more than capable of handling Cloudbreak as big as it gets, we just have to pick our window with the wind.
"Mello (Melling) was charging out there too so tough luck to him but I’m pumped to get some bombs and get through to round three.”
Otton, another Australian, saw off Brazil's Raoni Monteiro, who sustained a knee injury, to set up a third round meeting with Adriano de Souza. Durbridge takes on Taj Burrow.
“It is really really big out there,” Otton said. “Really big and really perfect. Raoni (Monteiro) gets the hero award today. He pulled into a monster and got crushed for it.
"If that wave didn’t come in for me at the end, that would have been it for me. Thankfully it did and I survive to surf another day.”
Round two results:
Heat 11: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 15.43 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 14.23
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS) 14.33 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.34
Round three match-ups:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 2: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 3: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Mitch Coleborn (AUS)
Heat 7: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 9: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
