Buying a Surf Board for beginners

Hi,
please find enclosed some of my experiences from buying a surf board to ride some nice waves as a beginner:
What to concider in the beginning:
- Do I want to start with a long board or Mini Malibu? Yes- Which length should I look for? 8 to 9 feed- The more you weigh the longer it should be in the beginning, since the volume keeps you up and floating and it is easier to paddle into a wave. If you are very small and young you can also start with a 7.5 to 7.9 feed Mini Malibu- you should concider taking a couple of surf lessons in order to learn: how to warm up, how to read the waves, how to duck dive or do an eskimo role in order to dive through the waves, how to get up on the board, safety tipps... However I personally think that 2-3 days of surf lessons are enough and from then on it is learning by doing.
What to look for in a board:
- Board with fins