Calling this Central California is a little like cheating. I think it's really part of Northern California, but there are a few towns like Santa Maria, Pismo and San Luis Obispo that have that Southern California feel without as much pretense.
Regardless of what you call it, the middle towns are great places to live and visit. I personally like to bring all my gear when I'm heading to Central Cal, including my kites, my stand up paddle board and my surfboards. The beaches here are diverse and the conditions vary so much that you have to be prepared for anything. So if you kite, surf and paddle, you'll like this region.
Oh, and if you notice that I included Santa Cruz and Monterey in this category, forgive me. I wanted to make sure a person searching for surf in Central Cal had the option of seeing some real surf towns... (hee, hee, hee).