The best way to start off skimboarding is with a wooden board they are cheap and durable this is the best thing for a beginner.

Before the running or dropping you need to know the correct way to hold your board, this depends if you are goofy footed or regular. Most of us are regular. If regular hold your tail end with your right hand leaving your left hand holding your rail, this position is the best for running and throwing your board, if you are goofy do the opposite, (tail in left and rail in right),

Once you get this down go to the waterline of the beach where no other skimmers and people and throw your board onto the flat skim. Once you throw your board run after it and hop on to the board and skim along the sand, beginners find this hard because they throw the board weird. Either to hard and they can't run after it or they drop the board incorrectly causing the nose to dig into the sand. The best way is to hold your board exactly parallel to the beach this causes the board to drop flat and not get stuck in the sand. After throwing the board run after it and hop on, make sure u do not jump on it because the board will loose all it's speed and you don't go anywhere. Just run and make soft steps onto your board. If you look at the other skimmers you will notice that it almost looks like they are running onto the board.

After you get that down you can bring in the running motions, take a few steps before dropping your board, this will increase your speed and your time on the board. Add in more steps and practice practice practice. After a while of sand skimming it becomes boring, this is when most skimmers start to tackle the waves and sand tricks, buy the time you learn how to get on the board you be able to skim into the waves and preform awesome tricks .