leucadia surf school
San Diego, Encinitas, Del Mar
Surfing Lessons & Surf Camps
California

from SILIVE.COM
(scroll down about 1/2 the page on the link above)

BOARD EDUCATION
National surf expert Gerry Kantor fields some FAQs

What's the most important thing for beginners to remember when trying to stand?
Keep your feet in the center of the board.

What's the most common mistake?
They forget that surfing is not easy, and takes years of practice, though it's fun at every step of the way.

How many lessons does it typically take to surf fairly well?
It's not a matter of taking lessons so much as surfing a lot. A lesson is just a basic orientation to get you standing up and catching waves. So if you took one lesson, then started surfing on a regular basis, it would still take a couple years to surf fairly well, and that's if you surfed four times a week at least. The pros started early as kids, and surfed at least 10 years or more.

What kind of conditions should beginners look for?
White water away from crowds.

How do you get your surfboard out through the waves?
Go straight out through the oncoming white water. The same dynamics of a boat apply to a surfboard when taking it out through the surf. You wouldn't take a boat out through the surf at an angle and expect to have much luck, and it's the same with a surfboard.

What kind of surfboard should you get?
A long, wide, stable surfboard, about 9 or 10 feet. If you're a kid, go about 8 or 9 feet. This kind of board will be easier to balance on. You need to get your balance first, get used to the way the board glides along with the wave. It's kind of like the first time you rode a bike. Difficult at first, but once you get it, it's easy, and you wonder why you thought it was so difficult to begin with.

Source: HowtoSurf.net