l visited El Salvador and l when boogie boarding. First time out in the Ocean, and l loved it. Now l wanna start surfing. l live in the San Francisco bay, and Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay is about 1/2 hour away from where l live.

What surf board should l get to start out with? I am looking for a fun board or short board, that is not to costly and that will last me along time. And advise or ideas?
I am also looking into a fish board.

wow you live in cali and havnt gone inthe ocean yet.

A fish would be good. You may want to start on a longboard though. As far as where to buy a board check out craigslist and ebay.

Have fun and good luck,
The Surfboard Man'
http://thesurfboardman.com/

You can learn on a funboard.but the board dosent live up to its name until u get better with time. The longer the better. Try looking into a longboard or a mini-mal

Im not saying u can not learn on a funboard.or even a shortboard but it will be a long,tough..not-so fun experience.

Also read-up on hazards in the ocean since ur new to it.not every surf break is the same..reef is & rocks hurt.and so does marine life.

Good luck man & be safe.

If ur boogie boarding adventure was ur first foray into the ocean, it is only fair that u carefully consider that surfing is an ocean sport. before u decide to surf, decide to know & understand the ocean. Learn to be at home with its currents, rips, undertows & sometimes BIG waves. The original surfers were watermen (and women, both men & women surfed, but certain waves were reserved for royalty).
l do not just mean being good at swimming in a pool, the ocean can be very unforgiving. l have seen lots of really good pool swimmers have to get rescued. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up do not want to drown you), how to paddle & take off on a wave, & how to ride a wave.

Lessons r usually the best way to start, unless u r an adolescent or young adult with lots of pals who surf who can teach you. Go to a real surf shop. The folks there can hook u up with lessons, & even rent u a board to learn on. Just work on ur basics, & after u feel good, think about buying a board, but do not rush into anything. And, please do not waste ur time (or money) buying something on line.

Be careful of what u read here on line. There r lots of really well meaning young folks who have neat about surfing, but at 56, l tend to classify anyone under 25 as a kid. After l found this site, l figured that l could answer a few questions, & spread the 'good news' of surfing. After u learn to swim & master the ocean, get ur REAL advice from a surf shop, where industry professionals earn their rent money selling surfboards. However, if they think u r just a 'kook' tourist out to rent a board, u wo not necessarily get the best attention.

Most people learn best on long boards, although l have seen lots of surfers start on a short board & master it. In the long run, there r NO RULES on what type of board u have to learn on. Long boards r ideal for learners. There r also good internediate length boards to learn on, funshapes, mini-mals & some hybrids. That is why instructors use long boards of fun boards (or even softtops).

l have been surfing since 1966, & l am always glad to see someone new want to start surfing. Be enthusiastic, but cautious too. Take time to learn the right way, & please do not buy naything until u have had a chance to try several different types of boards.

THE REAL BOTTOM LINE IS: Go to a Surf Shop, not a computer. The pros there can give u the right !!

l hope u take the time, learn the right way, & have as much fun surfing as l have had!!! Good luck!

Wow! California and no beach time! l was just at the beach! But anyway... l would go to Costco and get the WAVESTORM board. It is pretty long but it will ride just about any wave. l DO have an experience with surfing so l am not just making it up

l started out with a 7'4' NSP funboard and l still love it!