Agree with Spent....none of those decisions are kookish.
Riding reforms definitely helps up your riding time. Just a note, the impact zone can be a dangerous place to hang out if there are other surfers near by, it significantly increases the % of getting run over.
Catching waves before they break is the art of timing....you have to be out in front of the wave just enough for it to allow you to drop in. When I first started surfing, I missed so many waves because I was paddling too early and I was too far back on my board. Remember, you want to be able to touch the nose of your board when paddling, that usually means you are forward enough to help push the weight of the board down the face earlier. Assuming you are not riding a long board, in which case, I can't really help with advice since I have only ridden one of those boards a handful of times and literally kook out on them.