I succumbed to a 4th of July sale and ordered a North Fork Composites 11.5' surf rod. My first rod is based on a Rainshadow blank, and I was able to use one of their recipes with small modifications.
This rod will be used with a spinning reel. I'm wonder where to start as far as choosing number and size of guides, and handle and reel seat components. Any directions welcome.

For a starting point you could always fall back on a similar length and type blank from Rainshadow. At some point, you'll want to learn how to do this without relying on "recipes." In the meantime, you have the Anglers Resource website for spinning rod set-up, the very simple MicroWave Guide system, and the 27X NGC as outlined in the online library on this website.

..........

I think the ideal diameter and/or placement of the first guide on a surf spinning rod also depends upon the type of line being used - fluorocarbon, nylon, braid etc. - and the diameter of the line. I think best results are obtained by treating rod, reel, and line as one: an integrated system.

Thanks, I thought of the Rainshadow recipe for similar blank after I posted the question. The Anglers Resource site was the one I couldn't remember!