im determined to learn to surf this summer!
i live in ocean city md.
i have surfed twice before, once here and once in the OBX. it wasnt pretty.
i used a foam board and a crappy long board.
im female, 5'9, pretty sure l wanna stick with the longboard.what size would l need?
how much should l spend on my first board, where should l look for one?
any tips tricks advice etc is appreciated!! l dont wanna go to a random shop and pay for lessons if l can avoid it.
i used to skate, l thought that would help but it really hasnt.
oh and m bioggest challenge is getting up on the board...my legs always seem to get tangled and standin up is tough!
please help!

Practice practice practice. Kinda lame answere l know. But that is really what will get you there. It is kinda frustrating at first but just get out there. practice your stand up on the board on the beach for a while. get it perfect. then take it to the water. it will be much harder but it helped me.

Get a girls long board. They r shorter & narrower. Yes l know width makes them more stable but ur arms tend to be shorter which makes carrying a full sized long board hard. The rest is just practice practice practice.

Remember that on a long board u really want to be paddling at an angle for take off. Long boards r hard to turn so if you're already aiming down the line its one less thing to worry about while ur getting to ur feet. Remember to pop up in one one motion, trying to do it in more than one step will lead to more falls.

I'd say something in the 7 to 8 foot range. Buy a good used board, nothing fancy, just something you can learn on that is in good shape.

Yeah, practice. Maybe you also might wanna buy a couple surf mags to get to know the sport.

GO COWBOYS
ROMO ''FOR THE HALL OF FAME''

use a 8'0'' longboard and Practice A LOT
get a board at any surf shop
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Surfboard Size

No matter what type of board u buy it should be at least 6'' longer than ur own height.
The wider the board, the more stable on the waves
The thicker the board the more buoyant it will be, making it easier to paddle & catch waves
A ultra thin, light shortboard will make learning to surf harder - why do u think that performance boards r not used by surf schools
Type

The best type of beginners surfboard depends on different factors. How often u will be surfing, ur fitness levels, whether u need to look cool etc. Best go back & read the both the beginner board pages again.
Soft boards, longboards, minimals & pop-outs r all great beginners boards
Shortboards r not such a great beginner board for the average surfer.
New or Old

This depends on a number of factors including budget & availability of boards
Buying a new soft surfboard is a good idea if u have children or u do not intend to go surfing regularly. If u progress quickly in ur surfing u will soon need another board more suited to ur ability - these boards r for the novice only. A cheap second hand board might be the best bet
Good second hand surfboards can be hard to find, & if u r new to buying a surfboard u might want to take a look at our surfboard buying guide
.With a beginners board u r going to have to replace it soon, u need a board that u can resell
How Often You Surf

If u only surf once a year go for a softboard
If u surf intermittently go for either a pop-out, mini-mal or malibu
If u surf 3-4 times a week u can pretty much start on any board u like. Surfing this regularly should see u quickly out of the 'novice surfer' stage

l also live here in Ocean city maryland, so l can relate to you. there r few surf shops that r good, but endless summer surf shop on like 54th street is the best. ask for Salty. he will spend his whole day answering ur questions & do everything to make sure u r on the right board, definetly stick with a longboard, but l would suggest taking a lesson with them first. they r amazing. they put u on a roam board, which makes it so much easier to stand up. & they r not that expensive. & if u buy the wrong board, Salty will let u trade it in until u find the board that u absolutely love.