Surfing Waves

Hi all!

I'm going to be in Santa Monica around new year and then over to Oahu and Maui for the first couple of weeks in January. I'm hoping you can give me some tips on the best surf spots for me and also where to rent boards from.

I have done a week of surf camp in Brazil and surfed in Florida a few times as well. I'm confident catching waist-heigh outside sets and turning along the face of the wave and hope to spend some time working on technique and building up to slightly bigger surf on this trip.

I learnt on a soft top board and have also used longboards, a Jimmy Lewis Secret Weapon and a shortboard. I preferred the Secret Weapon as its still easy to pop-up on but more maneuverable and also easier to get around with out of the water! The shortboard I struggled to pop-up on after catching the waves.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Also, are there any comps on the North Shore during that time as it would be great to see some of the pros in action!

Thanks in advance.