ALT DEVIATION; ALT EXCURSION.

Narrative

I HAD PREFILED AN IFR DEP FROM SAN CARLOS; DIRECT OAK; DIRECT SAC; DIRECT TO 061; MY HOME FIELD. SQL GND CLRED ME TO CAMERON PARK (061) TO FLY RWY HDG AND AT THE DIAMOND WATERWAY; TURN RIGHT TO 120 DEGS; WITHIN 2 MI OF THE ARPT; RADAR VECTORS V6; SAC; DIRECT. MAINTAIN 1100' UNTIL PASSING OAK 165 DEG R; MAINTAIN 2000'. DEP 135.65; SQUAWK XABC. THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND I MADE MY FIRST IFR DEP FROM THIS UNFAMILIAR FIELD. AFTER TKOF I MADE CONTACT AND WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY DEP CTL. I WAS UNABLE TO VISUALLY IDENT THE DIAMOND WATERWAY AND DEP CTL DIRECTED MY RIGHT TURN. I MAY HAVE THEN BEEN AT 1100'; BUT I AM NOT CERTAIN. THEREAFTER; I WAS ESTABLISHED ON A HDG OF 120 DEGS AND BEGAN MY CLB TO 2000'. WHEN I WAS CLBING THROUGH 1500' DEP CTL DIRECTED ME TO IMMEDIATELY DSND TO 1100'. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND A TRANSPORT FOR SFO WAS THEN RELEASED BY DEP CTL TO DSND FROM 3000'. THAT AIRPLANE WAS HELD AT ALT; I BELIEVE; BECAUSE I HAD BROKEN AN ALT RESTRICTION; ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT DIRECTLY STATED AS SUCH IN THE CLRNC. AFTER I RESUMED 1100'; DEP CTL DIRECTED ME TO STUDY THE DEP WITH GREATER CARE. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BECAUSE I HAD NOT MADE A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE DEP; NEITHER ON THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA CHART NOR; IN RETROSPECT; IN MY MIND. OWING TO MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND THE MIXED VFR/IFR DEP; BETTER PLAN WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DRAW OUT THE DEP ON THE CHART; ALONG WITH THE EXTENSION OF THE OAK 165 DEG R AS THE ALT RESTRICTION. THEN WHEN THE DEP BEGAN TO DETERIORATE AFTER MISSING THE VISUAL CHKPOINT; I WOULD HAVE PROVIDED MYSELF WITH AN ADDITIONAL VISUAL CHKPOINT; WHICH STUDY WOULD HAVE SHOWN AS THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE SAN CARLOS ARPT. THE ARPT DOES NOT HAVE A PUBLISHED APCH ALTHOUGH IT DOES HAVE A NONPUBLISHED STANDARD DEP; TO PREVENT ANY CONFLICT WITH LNDG TFC AT SFO. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE STANDARD DEP BE PUBLISHED AS A SID TO PREVENT CONFUSION AND PROVIDE THE PLT WITH A PICTORIAL OF THE AREA; WITH VOR; ARPT AND VISUAL REFERENCES. THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS DENSE GND CLUTTER THAT OBSCURES THE VISUAL REF IN THE BOAT MARINA AND A PUBLISHED DEP WOULD HELP MINIMIZE PLT CONFUSION AND SHOW AN ADDITIONAL VISUAL CHKPOINT SUCH AS THE DEP ARPT WHICH WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE VERBAL CLRNC ISSUED BY GND CTL.