Place to stop, read, and catch waves on the way to LA (Santa Barbara: neighborhood)

[Transitory]

I am leaving early tomorrow for a brief visit to LA. On the way I'd like to make a midday stop at an area that meets these criteria:

1) Is after SLO and before Santa Monica

2) Has a good beach to body board on

3) Possibly has a shaded part of the beach to read/dry off on

4) Has easy parking

5) Is quiet but close enough to a place to get lunch

Any suggestions? It looks like Santa Barbara might be a good match but I will defer to the forum's collective insight.

[.highnlite]

From Carpenteria to Ventura Hi Way 1 follows the shore, you can stop anywhere along there, as thousands of people do.

[Transitory]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

From Carpenteria to Ventura Hi Way 1 follows the shore, you can stop anywhere along there, as thousands of people do.

Right, this I know. I'm looking for a specific beach/park.

[shemp]

Sounds like you dont have a wetsuit, so I would not try the Pismo area.

Not much in terms of places to eat between Carpinteria and Ventura.

SB generally isnt that great for bodyboarding. Many of the beaches dont have waves breaking outside, and those that do can be crowded with surfers. But, Arroyo Burro/Hendry's would work and you could eat nearby in the Mesa neighborhood of SB, but this is just a little off the beaten path. A beach for th locals of SB.

A couple other places come to mind:

Santa Claus beach at Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria, there is a cafe right next to the beach, nice grassy outdoor area to eat

Carpinteria Beach at the end of Linden Ave, eat on Linden

Ventura/LA County Line. Eat at Neptune's Net.

I cant think of beaches with plenty of trees and shade but they are more remote.

[scottfreez]

+1 county line