Tara - Cool shots. Definitely different from my part of the world right now. All those kites in the air make me wonder --- is there some kind of protocol that surfers follow, to avoid getting too close and having their kites get tangled up? Who has the right of way?

I like your second shot, but I agree that there is a bit of softness to it that doesn't seem to make sense. You obviously had a fast shutter speed, and the focal plane appears to straddle the first surfer evenly. If the raw file is sharper then at least you know the camera or lens aren't to blame.