l live in cali and during the winter the water is pretty cool, i'm going to try surfing for the first time in my life but l do not know whether to buy a wetsuit or a dry suit? l hate cold water and have no idea what kind of suit to buy? Also, theres so many types of wetsuits which one is the most appropriate?

you should buy ur self a full siut, ofcorse and get a laced and gled wet suit. if you get reallly cold easily..might wana get a 4:3 wetsuit insted of a 3:2. if oyur confused.thats the thickness of it. you should not get a dry suit cause thats lame.

l got my first wetsuit which is an oneil from Sports Chalet for like $120. Its a 3:2 full body without glued seams. Its works wondrously on most days, but if its really cold l can feel it. l tried on like 4 before l found this one which l felt was perfect for me and l had to try on different sizes too but it was worth it. You could try there and like big 5, might be a lot cheaper than surf shops next to the beach :)

There have been a couple of recently resolved questions about this so check that section. DO NOT get a dry suit, they are not suitable for surfing.

dry suits are a no no l reckon you should probably get a 5.3.
it would be great for the winter.i live in Scotland where you surf when it snows, l use a ripcurl f-bomb which is a 6mm but that is because its really cold. a 5mm is good for summer and winter (depending on the area you live)

hope you find a good suit.

Do not buy a dry suit, they r for scuba diving. Depending on where in CA u live u should either get a 3/2 or a 4/3 wet suit. North of Pismo Beach you'd be better off with a 4/3. If you're way down in San Diego u could get by with a 2mm. With a thinner suit u will have more flexibility. If u buy too thick of a suit, u will end up like the little brother in a Christmas Story. Also, some shops have rental suits. You can try one of those out before buying, that will help determine the thickness u need.