1. are there good surfboard rental stores in the LA area? (santa monica, santa barbara, newport, huntington beach, long beach, etc)

2. ive never surfed before but am really interested. should l surf or boogie board?

3. im about 5'7''. if l wanted to surf, how tall should my board be? are there any big differences in boards besides the design?

4. is a jeep a good car to carry a surfboard??

1. Check out Rocker in Venice or Malibu Surf Shack in Malibu. You should be able to find plenty of surf shops that rent boards.
2. Definitely surf! I've done both & surfing is a lot more fun.
3. Go with a big fish. It is not as big & hard to carry as a longboard but still big enough to make it easy to learn. Check out the Yellowtail or Hammerhead from 9:Fish Surfboards - 9fishsurf.com.
4. A jeep is fine. Most cars r fine if u have a rack to strap the surfboard to.

Just about every shop rents boards. However, there are a lot of safety and etiquette rules you need to know before paddling out, and a better idea is to go take a lesson first before renting a board. That way you wo not injure yourself or anyone else quite so easily.

You can find schools on the nssia.org web site or just search the internet for surf schools near where you live.