Gidget tries to attract the attention of surfer Jeff. Anne, upset that her little sister is staying out all night, reads her diary and misinterprets its contents.
Gidget is unable to find a date for the upcoming luau and convinces her brother-in-law John to accompany her. John tries to fit in with the teenagers, but his behavior puts them off.
Gidget falls for surfer legend Kahuna and even convinces her father to have him invited over. She soon finds out that Kahuna is, when not on the beach, not that interesting.
Convinced by his daughter to visit the beach, Russell there becomes infatuated with Sally Combs. Gidget is very worried when he starts dating the woman.
Feeling neglected by her husband, Anne leaves John. Gidget attempts to bring them back together by signing them up for dancing lessons she has won. However, things don't go the way she planned.
Determined to have her own car, Gidget signs a deal with an untrustworthy man and, much to the irritation of her father and classmates, signs up for mechanics in school.
Gidget feels that her teacher Hardy treats her tougher than the other students because she is the daughter of an English professor. She comes up with a scheme, which soon backfires.
Gidget falls for Larue's sophisticated New Yorker cousin Roger Haimes. Frustrated by Roger treating her as if she were a child, she starts acting as mature as possible.
Feeling her sister isn't ladylike enough, Anne convinces Russell to enroll Gidget in a girls' school in France. Gidget, thinking her father wants back his freedom, pretends she's fine with the decision.
When protest singer Billy Roy Soames comes to town, Gidget gets inspired by his activism. In her own twist, Gidget and Larue get Billy Roy involved in a protest to lower unfair movie ticket prices.
After Larue gets put down by a girl at the beach, Gidget decides Larue needs a make-over. Larue is more interested in an old horse that she wants to buy. Russ tries to help, and Gidget thinks her friend and her Dad are an item.
After a talk with her Dad, Gidget decides that her boyfriend, Mark, needs to learn a little chivalry. Gidget and her girlfriends all gather at her house for a pajama party to teach all their boyfriends a lesson.
A battle for a new surfing beach causes problems between Gidget and her boyfriend Brett. Gidget uses medical subterfuge to get him back from her rival Patty.
Inge, a Swedish college student, stays with the Lawrence's until the dorms open. She changes from meek to wild and steals all the boys - especially Gidget's boyfriend Mark. Gidget fumes until Inga's fiancé Gunnar shows up.
While Gidget's true love, Jeff, is away at college, Gidget enjoys herself by dating the feuding Cook cousins. She happily finds out that Jeff, is coming home for the Founder's Day dance, but then realizes she has three dates for the dance.
The kid's favorite hang-out, The Shaggy Dog, is in danger of being closed to build a new museum. Gidget and her Dad find themselves on opposite sides of the issue.
While her father is out of town Gidget goes to a surfing tournament with her sister and brother-in-law's blessing. They don't quite trust her though and hire a guy to keep tabs on Gidget.
Gidget gets lured out of the house, in her pajamas, to go on a surprise car buying trip to Pasadena. She then spends the whole trip stopping to call her Dad to let him know what's happening.
Gidget gets a job at the new teenage nightclub to pay for a birthday present for her Dad. Unfortunately the family suspects that she is working at someplace a little racier.
