A C182 PLT EXPERIENCED TURB AT CRUISE; CAUSING VARIATIONS IN ALT.

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AFTER DEP; WE CLBED (ON VECTORS) TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT ON OUR WAY TO THE SAN MARCUS (RZS) VOR. APPROX 5-7 MI SE OF THE VOR; WE EXPERIENCED LIGHT TURB AND A STRONG DOWNDRAFT; CAUSING A DSCNT TO APPROX 5800 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT UPDRAFT (AND SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION) CAUSING A 400 FPM CLB. THIS TOOK US TO ABOUT 6300 FT; AT WHICH TIME I RPTED OUR ALTDEV TO SANTA BARBARA APCH AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE HOLDING ALT DUE TO THE UPDRAFT. I PWRED BACK TO APPROX 14 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2200 RPM. THE UPDRAFT AND TURB CONTINUED AND I CONTINUED TO CLB TO 7000 FT; WHICH I ALSO RPTED TO SANTA BARBARA APCH. I REQUESTED; AND WAS GIVEN; VECTORS TO RZS AND AWAY FROM THE TERRAIN NEAR SANTA BARBARA. THE TURB AND UPDRAFT ABATED; AND ALLOWED ME TO DSND BACK TO MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT. UPON XING THE RZS VOR; I MADE A PIREP ABOUT THE TURB; WINDSHEAR AND STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS TO LOS ANGELES FLT WATCH. AT NO POINT DURING THE EVENT WERE WE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE TERRAIN NEAR RZS TO HAVE A PROB WITH CTL. HOWEVER; THE CLOSER WE GOT TO THE TERRAIN AND THE CUMULUS CLOUDS IN THE AREA; THE MORE SEVERE THE TURB WAS. NEITHER THE TURB; THE WINDSHEAR; NOR THE BROKEN-TO-OVCST CLOUDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE RZS VOR WERE FORECAST; SO I WAS NOT INITIALLY PREPARED FOR THEM. I MAINTAINED CTL OF THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES; BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ABATE THE ALTDEVS UNTIL I GOT OUT OF THE AREA OF THE STRONG UP AND DOWNDRAFTS.