NEWPORT SURF CAMP

This is surf school stripped of ego and full of grit. Mornings begin with the smell of wax and sunscreen, a chorus of whistles and the dull slap of foam boards against sand. Instructors call names like coaches, not celebrities; Johnny shows up as a steady presence, patient and exact. Kids who arrive clutching fear leave popping up on soft-top boards, laughing with salt on their lips. There are programs for every stubborn learner: one-hour refreshers, a six-week "Never 2 Late" adult series, five-day summer camps and a Jr. Surf Team that actually teaches ocean sense, not tricks. The beach here is quieter at dawn, on 28th Street, which makes learning less circus and more homework. Expect repetition, games to build balance, and an emphasis on safety. By midday the line of boards looks like a small tribe, damp and sandy and ready to go back out.