And be careful at the shops, they'll try and sell you something worth 6 or 7 hundred dollars and babble on about rails, and concaves and tail shapes etc. When you're just a beginner that stuff means nothing, you want something stable, reasonable thick and something that'll float well and not get bogged

Don't waste your time on line, we don't know anything about you, or where you surf, and we don't have an opportunity to discuss these things with you. Go to a good local surf shop (or a shop where ever you usually surf) and discuss your options with the folks in the shop. And remember, unless its all you can afford, don't buy a sweat shop made board (http://bp3.blogger.com/_hPACOtZKKko/RkST…

Or for that matter, any popout:
http://www.mckevlins.com/nopopstory.htm

At the shop, they will discuss what you are looking for in surfing, and what works best in local surf conditions. be concerned for size and design, but don't get too hung up on "big name" brands, there are tons of great local shapers out there.

Be careful about taking on-line advice from kids who may know less about surfing than you do.

Anybody who recommends a specific size or design of a surfboard to a stranger on line is foolish. Anybody who would take that advice is MORE foolish.

Good luck with your selection. I have been surfing since 1966, and it has been a lifetime of fun for me.

You aren't going to be able to twist and turn with a longboard but you will be able to ride a wave til it dies out. This way, you will get good practice on paddling and when you should get up for a wave...thats the hardest part for me. Timing on when you some get up.

Maybe get a used longboard so you dont feel stuck with it. It'll cost alot less. If you want a decent longboard, you are looking at least 400.

Nevermind people who say it can't be done. Sure, you won't get any 20' waves and pristine conditions, but you will be able to build some excellent foundations. Lake surfing means your board won't be as buoyant (read harder paddling), the waves tend to be smaller, and the sets super-tight. However, if you can catch a wave in Lake Michigan, catching surf in SoCal or Hawaii will be easy.

Don't try to teach yourself or go surfing alone. There are still riptides in the lake and the water temperature can get to you extremely quickly.

Good luck!

Before you even think about surfing, there are some things you should understand. Surfing is an ocean sport, that should only be practiced by persons who are already competent ocean swimmers. Swimming in a pool is neat, but it's not ocean swimming, with undertows, rip tides and sometimes BIG waves. I have seen lots of great pool swimmers get rescued. So, my first tip on how to surf is to be at home in the ocean.There are way too many dangerous people in the water now. They are a danger to themselves and other surfers, don't join their ranks.You may already have the ocean skills, we don't know too much about you.

Lessons are the best way to start. Lessons can come from a professional instructor, or surfing family members or experienced surfing friends. You have to learn surf etiquette (so the experienced surfers in the line up don't want to drown you), how to paddle and take off on a wave, and how to ride a wave. The last thing experienced surfers want is for inexperienced people to just grab a board, rush into the surf and get in our way. Lessons shorten the learning curve significantly. And they help keep ignorant, un-prepared kooks out of the water and out of the way of more experienced surfers.

Even if you took several hours of elssons every day for a week, you still couldn't really learn mire than the basics. It can take months or years to really learn how to surf. But, it is great fun, and worth taking a few lessons on a vacation.