new surfer. help a brotha out

I can say that from personal experience, you need to get a bigger board. Say a bigger funboard board to start up on, or even a log. When i was learning, my friend kept telling me that i was good to learn on a shortboard, and that only people who ride shortboards get the waves. But he basically screwed me over with that little lesson. I suffered many a day with that dreadful walk up the beach on a packed summer day knowing that everyone is looking at me saying " what a kook......." Then i went out and got a 7'0 Funfish from WRV (7'0x23.5x2.75) and started to actually learn how it felt to ride a wave. It takes time to gain that knowledge of how the wave forms/breaks, where the peak is, how far inside or outside the wave is going to peel.

Now i ride a 6'3 Valeric, and a 5'10 Pride and love them to death. I haven't had that horrific walk of shame back up the beach in a long time. Its amazing how much an extra foot on a board will help you.

Take you time and like everyone else said......Watch watch watch. I can't tell you how many times i've watched loose change, September Sessions, and especially All The Hype, since it's primarily an east coast wave movie.
Grab an indo board, and a stack of surf movies.