Fleeing a mean stepfather in Texas, Billy-Boy arrives in South Florida with his mother and two sisters at the beginning of summer. Billy-Boy quickly befriends a local boy, Tim, and all is well until it becomes clear they both like the same girl, Mae Beth, the daughter of the local surf shop owner. Billy-Boy has to learn how to navigate new terrain, while struggling to overcome feelings about his stepfather. He is helped by the insights of an older teenager, known locally as Shark Man, and Sonny, Mae Beth’s father, who help him understand both the mysteries of the ocean and his inner self.