l am 5'6 and a beginner snowboarder.What is a good brand board to get? How long should it be?And if l wear a size 7 1/2 women is shoe, what size boot do l need?What kind is most comfortable?!!!If anyone could help me out here l would really appreciate it!: )

Do not buy, rent!
(sorry, l say this over & over & over :)
So many factors go into what brand & type & size snowboard u will want. You really need to snowboard a bit first.

Most all resorts have a beginner package which will include top notch, well fit equipment, & a safe fun friendly beginner lesson.
Do this!!!
Have fun, learn the sport, & then go shopping for boots. Unless u r still growing, a good pair of well fitting boots should be ur longest lasting best investment. You can share, rent, borrow a board for a while, but boots r personal,and worth spending some bucks on.

Well u could try http://womenssnowboard.com for some advice on this. Essentially it all breaks down to preference, riding style, & location. First figure out where u will be snowboarding. Then choose a slightly smaller board for jumps & tricks or a longer board for speed & slalom. the board should be roughly the same size as u honestly unless u want to spin easier.

The boots will roughly translate across in size. Burton make some good boots but l was a fan of the old airwalk boots for wearing all day long.

Burton is always a good way to go they make great boards. what size u should get depends on u weight too. l dont know what the average chick weighs but the average 5'6''(call it about 120 lbs.) guy should get something in the late 140 cms or the early 150s. l hope that gives u an idea. if youre lighter thatn that go shorter, if ur heavier go longer. id guess ur a little lighter though. if u wear a 71/2 shoe in womens get a 71/2 boot in womens. (pretty simple conversion huh?) hope l helped & have a great time l know l do.

Go to ur local board sports store & see if they will do a season rental for you. That is what l did my first season & l saved a lot of money. After l decided l liked it, l went & bought a board & boots & bindings. Only do that after a sucessful season & u know u really truly want to do it every year. You just need to go in & talk to someone at the store because it is really important that u let someone help u in person. Otherwise, u r not ever going to feel comfortable in what you're wearing there. The most important thing in ur first year is comfort, & u will probably want a 148 board, maybe a little smaller. It is easier to learn on a smaller board. Have a good season!

There are a lot of really good snowboard brands out there. You are right, you should be most concerned about SIZE of snowboard. Getting the right size board is the most important thing. A snowboard improperly sized to the rider can break a good time.

l suggest to visit the snowboard size calculator here
http://frostyrider.com/tips/size-guide.htm
Be as accurate as possible about your height and weight. It will even recommend boards for you.

RENT!! So much cheaper and easier!!! You will love yourself for renting!! The people there know all about snow boarding and will get you a good snow board!