[Eric 951]

I taught both skiing and 'boarding for several seasons, and hands down, I found snowboarding was the easier of the two to learn.
There are only (2) edges to worry about instead of (4) and less likelihood of getting all crossed up

If going for the first time--dress warmly--obviously, but keep in mind that 'boarders spend alot of time on their rears buckling in/out, resting, etc. and if you can go when the snow is lighter and not a wet sloppy mess--if your soaked you won't have any fun.

watch your wrists. If falling try and land on your forearms--the most common injury is broken wrists from straight-arming while trying to break a fall.

Take a lesson and be vocal. Don't rely on your buddy that has been boarding to teach you--inevitably you will end up at the top of a slope(after struggiling with getting on/off the lift) with no ability to control your speed and will hate it. I have seen lots of folks walking down slopes carrying their boards because they didn't spend enough time on the flat or training area learing how to slow down, stop, and turn.
When taking the lesson provide your instructor with feedback, if you are cold, intimidated by the terrain or what is being taught, something hurts--let it be known.

Let the instructor inspect your gear--this was the first thing I did with every class--yopu would be surprised how many people had gear that wasn't right for them, or set up incorrectly--the 5 minutes it takes to make sure everything is right is worth the comfort for the rest of the day.(I once had a student show up for a ski lesson with their boots on the wrong feet--talk about painful.)

Have fun--this is recreation after all--and if the lesson is good--tip your instructor, trust me, they don't make anything and any tip is greatly appreciated.