Input on Beginners First Boards?

[BayAreaKite]

I've been asked to post an article on the main site on what beginners should look for in a first board.

What combo of features do you think makes for an ideal beginner board that one won't outgrow too quickly?

[tim_fred]

The truth? For your first season it doesn't matter. Something more-or-less rectangular and about a foot shorter than you are. Footstraps are nice as well.

The details:

Twin tip, around 150cm, maybe less for lightweights.

Larger fins (2"+) and/or 6 fins for ease of holding an edge and upwind.

Adjustable straps for use with booties or bare feet and to experiment with tightness.

A big sturdy handle for getting the board on quickly during a water start.

Cheap and used because they won't use it for more than one season.

And most importantly:

Brightly colored so that it's easily visible from shore after losing it.