Dunn, 23, currently sits in 22nd spot on the world rankings. There's one contest remaining - the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii, next month.

With the top 27 surfers assured of a spot on the tour, Dunn looks reasonably safe to stay aboard in 2010.

He'd have to lose in the opening round at Hawaii and three of the four surfers currently ranked below him would need a top nine finish.

"I'm not saying that couldn't happen, but it would be rare,'' Dunn said this week.

"Especially with the 16 local wildcards to come into it.''

He's endured a bit of a mixed year. Dunn struggled after injuring his ankle just before the opening event on the Gold Coast in March. He was a first round elimination in the opening two rounds at the Gold Coast and then Bells Beach. That meant he lost his seeding and he was forced to come up against the likes of Kelly Slater and Joel Parkinson in the early heats.

Dunn started to turn his season around in South Africa, where he was ninth.

"I've been pretty happy with the last part of the year,'' he said.

This included a fifth placing - his best of the season - at France in October.

He's enjoying a bit of a sabbatical at home after completing the most gruelling section of the tour.

"The first part of the year is pretty spread out,'' he explained.

"But we've just down four contests almost back-to-back and that was pretty tough. I was away from the start of September to the end of October.''

This also saw Dunn surf in the USA, Spain, France and Portugal.

Now he's enjoying the break before preparing for the Pipeline.

He's only surfed there once in competition and that was last year when he was a first round casualty.

"The waves were only about three foot but hopefully there'll be a bit more swell there this year,'' he said.

Dunn admits the towering waves that have made the Pipeline famous can be 'a bit scary' but adds the conditions are usually 'fun.'