hello
firstly welcome to the forum.
I would say the first thing you need to do is go and have some lessons, you can then get a feel for your level and if you actully like it. once you have done that i would say to get one of the NSP type boards that are similer to a pop out which will be great to learn on. these boards are great at catching little waves and really stable. once you have progressed a bit you can then trade it in for a nice mini mal. i would say you should try and get something arount the 8ft mark in length. these boards also keep their value really well and you should be able to sell it on quite cheaply.
good luck
