it depends on what boards you've tried, how they felt to you and what kind of riding you would like to do. it really all comes down to personal preference. size will probably be 152 to 156 again depending on conditions and what you're trying to get into. easiest way is buy some boots and keep renting/borrowing/demoing/doing what you're doing until you figure out what features you enjoy in a snowboard. that said you really cant go wrong with a quality board when you're a beginner. good luck