AN SVFR BE24 PLT UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR OR COMPLY WITH DEP INSTRUCTIONS ENTERED A STRATUS LAYER BEFORE FINALLY BREAKING OUT VFR IN CTLED AIRSPACE.

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AFTER RECEIVING ATIS INFO I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND REQUESTED A SVFR TKOF. I WAS NOT ASKED ANY OTHER INFO. I DID START MY PLANNED RTE OF SBA TO GVO; TO PRB; TO 0O5. I WAS GRANTED AN SVFR; BUT WAS NOT TOLD WHICH RWY AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GND CTL. AT GND CTL; I ASKED FOR RWY 15. DURING MY TAXI I WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT RWY 15 OR RWY 25. I STATED I WANTED RWY 15. AFTER RUN-UP I CONTACTED THE TWR; READY FOR TKOF. ON TKOF THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS TO MAKE A R DOWNWIND DEP. ON TURNING DOWNWIND AT 1000 FT I KEPT THE PATTERN TIGHT TO THE ARPT DUE TO APCHING WX FROM THE W (I WAS FLYING N). THIS TWR RELEASED ME TO MY OWN NAV. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A R-HAND TURN OVER THE ARPT TO KEEP AWAY FROM THE WX AND FLY OUT AT 1500 FT INTO CLR SKIES. THE TWR WAS ADAMANT ABOUT ME NOT MAKING A R TURN OVER THE ARPT. CONTINUING IN THIS PATTERN WAS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE OF TERRAIN AND DIMINISHING VISIBILITY. I INFORMED THE TWR THAT I WOULD MAKE A L-HAND TURN. HOWEVER; I WAS UNAWARE OF HOW FAST THE FOG WAS APCHING BEHIND ME. UPON TURNING THE ACFT; I WAS IMMEDIATELY IN THE FOG. I QUICKLY TURNED THE PLANE TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS; MAINTAINED LEVEL FLT; AND IN 5 OR 6 SECONDS EXITED THE FOG INTO CLR AIR. I QUICKLY TURNED AWAY FROM THE WX AND INITIATED A CLB AT 2000 FT. I INFORMED THE TWR THAT THE TOP OF THE FOG WAS 1800 FT AND WAS TURNING TO GVO. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS NOT QUESTIONED ABOUT MY PLANNED DEP RTE; OR WHY I WAS TOLD TO DO A R DOWNWIND DEP ESPECIALLY WITH CLR AIR AT 1500 FT AND APCHING WX AT 2700 FT. UPON RETURNING TO SBA I CONTACTED A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND REVIEWED SVFR PROCS; AND OPTIONS I HAD ONCE IN THE AIR.