Welcome aboard
If you are a beginner to surf fishing it is strongly recommend that you stay away from conventional tackle. spinning tackle should be used with a rod at least 8' in length. 9' being the ideal rod. Look for a rod in medium action with a lure weight rating 3/4 oz to 2 1/2 oz
This is what I got which all are under $400
9' St Croix Mojo paired with a Shimano Sphereos
8' Tsunami Airwave paired with a Diawa Coastal
9' Tica Dolphin Surf paired with a penn 704z
Plugs: The basic surf bag should have at least these - a bucktail, danny style surface swimmer, a needle fish or a "stubby" style needle fish, Bomber Long A swimmers in both 5" & 7", a spoon style lure i.e. kastmaster and don't forget a popper. I'm not a big fan of poppers but they will produce at certain times of year.
At first, Stay with the proven colors of Black, Blue, White, Yellow and Chartreuse. You may need to change your color selcetion in order to entice a bite. Experiment and find what the fish are willing to eat. Hope this helped. Good Luck.