Boards and gear
What board should a total beginner use?
A soft top, 8 to 9 feet, high volume. Not a shortboard. Ever. Please.
Foam. Big. Rounded. A 8'0" to 9'0" soft top with a lot of volume is the correct answer for basically every beginner. It is stable, it forgives bad technique, and it will not stab you. Skip fiberglass, skip fish, skip anything a friend calls fun. Try the Board Matcher on Sploot for a volume number tuned to your body.