Surfing Waves

Hello,
Me and my boyfriend have booked flights to Bali for two weeks in April. We currently don't have any plans and are looking for advise / recommendations. We would like to fit in some surfing and some sight seeing. We've both never been before and have lots of questions any tips or advise would be super helpful

To get a surf guide, book a surf school or do it ourselves?
We are both intermediate surfers that would like to experience different spots but don't know the area and may get intimidated by crowded waves. Bit worried a surf school may be more beginner focused and might end up at the same spots. Doing it ourselves may be stressful knowing where to go and which spots are working could be tricky and we don't have loads of time.

Take our own boards / hire?
Can you hire decent boards or is it worth flying ours out. We both currently have high performance longboards, but I'd like to try something shorter.

Where to stay?
Although we don't mind slumming it, we'd quite like to stay somewhere 'nice' that feels like a holiday. We are not bothered by nightlife.

How late can we leave booking things?
Does everywhere get booked up in advanced?

Any recommendations on surf schools / guides and non surfing things to do?

You can easily hire surf guides just for you, they arent too expensive (relatively speaking). Many will have boards that you can use, or you can rent them easily enough (or buy); and the guides will provide transport to spots suitable for your skill level. Of course, there are plenty of guides and plenty of people doing exactly this, so you wont necessarily find yourself in an uncrowded spot

As to where to stay and what to do - Bali (certainly around Kuta and Ubud) is basically designed for tourism. Thats pretty much all there is, so there is plenty to do. You can hire drivers for the day (see some temples etc), go to water parks, hang out at beaches or shop or whatever. A few days in Ubud is nice (although it is touristy). Accommodation ranges from 5 stars, resorts (eg Nusa Dua), trendy (Seminyak) to, well, cheap (Kuta).

2nd half of April is school holidays in Australia and Bali will be fairly busy then; but the first half will be less so.