Let's hear the opinions of all the experts on here bearing in mind that if you break the word Expert in two, you have Ex or x (being an unknown quantity) and spert or spurt (spurt being a drip under pressure). Anyway the question is, how does someone new to surfcasting go about selecting a rod?

Should they select a rod and then buy a reel to match it?
Should they buy the reel first and buy a rod to match it?
Should they buy both together as a combo.

What factors do you consider when advising a novice what rod they should purchase?