People in Hawaii made huge wood boards and would get in the water and paddle themselves out in the water and then paddle and ride the waves as they broke over the shallow sand or reefs. The Polynesians began the sacred ritualistic sport here more than 500 years ago.
Make sure your wetsuit fits well, otherwise you could get rashes in all sorts of places. A beginner should never try to learn on a shortboard, because shortboarding takes an intermediate to expert skill level. The arms of the suit generally are thinner than the rest, allowing the freedom to paddle the board.
It will not perform miraculous feats of trickery, but it will pick up the waves easily and provides a good deal of stability down the crest. Without the ability to paddle you will not only never catch a wave, but more than likely never even get to the line up. So many times I have seen a beginner surfer spend a stack of coin on all the latest gear and then spend an hour getting thrown around in the white water, wondering how everyone else made it out the back, it is 90% in your paddling ability. In case you don't know, a mal is short for malibu which is a long board with a rounded nose, usually around 9 ft long.
You will notice that it is more natural to have one of your feet forward than the other. Sharing waves keeps everyone happy.
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