Know where you belong, for now
The lineup is the area just beyond where waves break, where experienced surfers sit waiting. As a beginner, your place is closer in: the whitewater zone, where the waves have already broken. This is not a punishment. It is where you learn fastest, and where you are least likely to collide with someone riding at speed. At many beaches, surf schools set up their own section; stay inside it during lessons.
The surfer closest to the peak has priority
A wave breaks first at its peak, then peels to one side or both. The person paddling for the wave who is closest to where it is breaking has the right of way. Everyone else should pull back. This simple rule, recognised from Malibu to Bells Beach, prevents most collisions.
Don't drop in
Dropping in means taking off on a wave someone else is already riding, in front of them. It is the most frowned-upon thing in surfing, because it is dangerous. Before you paddle for any wave, look both ways along it, just like crossing a road. If someone is up and riding or closer to the peak, let it go. Another wave is always coming.
Don't snake, don't hog
Snaking is paddling around someone so that you end up closer to the peak and steal priority. Hogging is catching wave after wave while others wait. Both sour the mood fast. Take turns, especially in crowded small surf where everyone is learning.
Paddle out the long way
When you paddle out to waves, go around where people are riding, not through the middle. Use the channel where waves are not breaking; just be aware it may be a rip, so stay close to the edge of it and alert. If you find yourself in the path of a surfer riding toward you, paddle toward the whitewater behind them, not across their line. Taking a wave on the head is far better than causing a collision.
Hold onto your board
Throwing your board away when a wave comes is tempting, but even with a leash it can fly several metres and hit the person behind you. Learn to hold it: in whitewater, push the nose under or turn turtle by rolling over and gripping the rails. If you truly cannot hold it, check behind you first. This is why beginners on soft-tops in the whitewater zone is such a good arrangement.
Communicate and apologise
A quick "going left!" or "sorry, my mistake" solves most problems. Everyone was a beginner once. If you drop in accidentally, pull off the wave, apologise, and carry on. Most surfers respond warmly to honesty and good intent.
Respect the place
Local surfers often know the hazards of a beach better than any forecast. Smile, say hello, listen, and do not bring a large group to a small, crowded break. Leave the beach cleaner than you found it; organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage in the UK and the Surfrider Foundation in the US run regular beach cleans that beginners are welcome to join. The International Surfing Association lists good conduct as part of its instructor standards, so your coach will reinforce all of this too.