Organizers of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave surfing competition say the event is on for Wednesday at Waimea Bay.

“It has taken us six years to pull the trigger, but this is the first swell we have seen that is truly lining up as an Eddie swell,” said event director Glen Moncata.

The National Weather Service office in Honolulu is predicting surf to climb steadily Wednesday morning into the “extra-large” category, meaning breakers on outer reefs.

“The swell will be up right up there with the biggest ones this season,” said Derek Wroe, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the National Weather Service.

In addition, winds will be light, which is also favorable for the surf competition.

A high-surf advisory was set to expire today at 6 a.m. as a north-northwest swell gradually diminished. However, the weather service anticipated issuing a high-surf warning tonight as the larger, more powerful northwest swell approached.

Forecasters predict that surf will reach a peak of 40 to 50 feet by Wednesday, gradually diminishing to 18 to 24 feet by Friday.

The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big-wave event requiring wave-face heights of around 40 feet (20-foot Hawaii-style measurements). The event was last held Dec. 8, 2009, and has been held only eight times in its 29-year history. It is held only when wave heights and surf conditions meet contest standards.

Organizers said the event will be broadcast live on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD. They also said it will be shown live on the Internet at quiksilver.com/eddie and worldsurfleague.com.