Since the beginning of this year, almost every night on 14.284 +- and earlier in the openings on 21.284 I have talked with ZL1WN along with other South pacific stns such as E51JD in Roratunga nightly on 21.305, all of them are on SSB so the bands have been open but the duration of openings are short typically only 1 to 1 1/2 hours but the signals are strong and very readable.
17 meters has been similar this year as 20 meters has, as one would expect, with SSB capable contacts in the early morning hours to Africa and Europe and late afternoon to nighttime south pacific, JA, BV, DU, 9M and other Asian stns coming in so the bands are and have been open, its a matter of tuning around and being patient for the contacts.
Additionally since around mid October ZL1WN, a couple of VK2's in eastern VK, E51JD, 3D2 in Fiji along with numerous South Americans and even a KH2 in Guam have been in on 10 meter SSB so the bands are and have been open with good quality SSB contacts.
I hear these same South Pacific stations typically making contacts all the way to the east cost of the US and I also even hear South Americans working Japan and the Pacific on 10 meters SSB and these are not just US West Coast limited openings either.
