There are better choices, in my opinion, if you are talking about buying a new "first board", given the most common set of circumstances that most first timers are in. (You may not fit that.) I do sell the ZEN, sometimes, though. I sold a couple this year. But, it's wider -- over 80cm -- than most anyone really needs, even beginning, and that excess width reduces the boards future manuverability capability. Unless you are a heavyweight or consider yourself abnormally athletically challanged, your brain, like most everyone elses, will easily teach your body in it's own efficinet feedback loop system of information to balance yourself (along with handling the sail) on a "reasonably" wide board. Width over 80cm in a "first board" is making a big tradeoff in future capability if manuverability -- fun planning jibes, turns etc. are what you hope to do before too long. Of course, some people are obsessed with not falling in the water.....but it IS a watersport, after all.
It also doesn't have a standard retractable centerboard system, which presents a few issues relating to that which one shouldn't have to worry about. Why go there when you don't have to?