The goofy-footer competed on the Challenger Series (CS) last year but has not directly qualified for the eight-stop tour this season.

Baum missed one of three regional qualification events last year and finished fifth overall in the African standings. Only the top three in that region were given spots on the CS, where six positions on the Championship Tour (CT) for next year are on offer.

However, Baum's CS ranking last year means she is in line for wildcards as the fourth alternate. Those spots will come mostly from CT surfers not competing at CS events.

Baum gained a start in the opening CS contest, the Gold Coast Pro at Snapper Rocks, last week and bowed out in round two after finishing second in her first heat.

"The fact I got in to Snapper, which would have been the busiest event, just means I should have a spot in the rest of the events, so that's pretty good," Baum said.

"I'm just going event by event, hearing whether I get a wildcard, but it's looking likely I'll get a spot for the rest of the year."

She is now aiming to capitalise on her chance at Manly after struggling to find the right wave at Snapper Rocks.

"It was super tricky," she said.

"Spending a lot of time out at Newcastle, there aren't a lot of waves similar to that. I kind of struggled a bit just to find my feet.

"The first heat was good because there were a fair few waves coming through. In the second heat it was more stormy, a bit tricky and slower."

Manly is forecast to have only small waves before conditions improve late in the week.

"It's a typical beach break again, so I have that confidence of surfing them every day," she said. "Hopefully we get some waves and I get through a few more heats."

She is in heat seven with Amuro Tsuzuki, Zoe McDougall and Leticia Canales Bilbao. Merewether's Philippa Anderson, a round one casualty at Snapper, faces Luana Silva, Paige Hareb and Alysse Cooper in the third.

In the men's, Merewether's Morgan Cibilic, who made the round of 16 at Snapper, is against Te Kehukehu Butler, Marco Fernandez and Marco Giorgi in heat eight. Clubmate Ryan Callinan meets Eli Hanneman, Cam Richards and Mihimana Braye in heat 15. He made a first-round exit on the Gold Coast.

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