Having a surfboard and an ocean is not enough. One must be dedicated and develop an understanding of surf conditions that comes with observation. It does not require a group or paid referee and can be done alone. One learns when those conditions produce acceptable waves and how the tide and winds affect them. The board can be a huge hindrance or the perfect tool.
Beginners often fall into three categories.
One group is stuck with a board mis-bought at a garage sale or surf shop or passed along by someone. This group is told to be thankful to have any board. The next group buys the absolutely wrong brand-new board at a surf shop. Those groups then try to learn with a board that is just not right or even safe for them. A novice driver will not easily and safely learn to drive in a stick-shift Porsche.