i dont live on the ocean but i fish lake ontario daily and am very interested in ocean surf fishing
where will you be fishing?
you need to learn about what fish are there and decide if that is what you want to target and then have the proper gear to handle that species of fish
there is a big difference between surf casting for tarpon vs stripe bass or reds or shark
in general, you will need a good salt water reel that holds enough line so you dont get spooled by a big fish and a long enough rod to cast far enough out into the surf, at times, against the wind...getting your lure/bait out far enough is the first and most important challenge to over come i think
there are a ton of youtube videos on the topic of surf fishing from gear to technique..do a search
i would say that the average length of a surf rod is 10' and has a very long handle...like these
St. Croix Rods - Legend® Surf
i would select at least a 5000 size spinning reel (salt water) and would stay away from bait casting reels unless you get really into it
surf casting is really a specialized area of fishing, just like any other type of fishing...it requires specialized gear
however, if your targeting something smaller like stripe bass or reds, i would have no problem using my salmon/trout setup that i use off piers on lake ontario.....9 foot, medium action with a 4000 size reel
as for bobbers and how to set up terminal tackle for live bait....thats the least of your worries for now...there are a ton of resources to read about how to rig that up right