Getting to San Carlos

[boulderjohn]

My wife and I will be going to San Carlos the last week in September. We have never been anywhere near there. With the stunning rise in transportation costs, we are looking for the best way to get there. Flights from Denver to either Hermosillo or especially Guaymas are going through the roof. Flights to Tuscon are a fraction of that right now.

On the surface, it appears to be a wise choice to fly to Tuscon and rent a car, but I am told that there may be problems getting a rental car company to allow travel into Mexico, and I have heard stories about huge delays crossing the border. I have also heard conflicting advice about renting cars in general for trips in Mexico because of certain rules.

I did a search of this forum and found some nice advice about driving there should we go that route, but that advice seemed to suggest using your own car.

Does anyone with more experience than I have any advice along these lines?

As long as I have your attention, can anyone tell me what kind of water conditions I can expect then?

 

[diversteve]

I looked into this once a couple years ago. Guaymas/SC is in the Sonora Free Trade Zone so there's different rules for driving there. So it's doable but you have to buy Mexico insurance for the rental car in addition to the CD Waiver.

This is from a condo website but it seems to be accurate:
Posada Condominiums San Carlos Mexico - Travel Page

From the Hertz website:

Tucson:
The vehicle may be driven as far south as the 28th Parallel (the city of Guerrero Negro) in the Baja Peninsula or within the Free Trade Zone. Mexican insurance must be purchased for $30.00/day for car groups A, B, C, D, E, G, F & W and $40.00/day for car groups P & V.

It should be warm in September. We dove there the third week in October and it was only cold below about 80'. I actually dove off San Pedro in just a t-shirt, my friends had skins or 3mils. Vis was about 30-40' max but we were there too late in the season and algae was dying off and clouding up the water. My buddy said below the thermocline it was crystal clear.

My friends drove while I flew into Guaymas. They got stuck at the border coming back and it took hours. Divers/Diveshops from here do it all the time, either in personal vehicles or buses. If you do fly there, it's $20pp for a shared van ride to San Carlos.

Marina Terra is where we stayed, it's pretty nice, the Marina in front of it is where all the dive boats leave from - we walked over with our gear. Just a few minutes back to town. There's 3-4 restaurants within walking distance and Surface Time (diveop) is right next door to the hotel. There's also two local markets within walking distance. There's a beach club just a short walk away - never been there but I heard it's OK.

An even better deal is to rent a condo from OceanView Realty there. You get more room and it's cheaper than the hotel rooms. I rented A17, my friends mentioned how nice it was. Upstairs, great view and breezes. The spa didn't seem to have been working for years but it made a great gear rinsetank..lol.

More info about San Carlos: http://www.sancarlosmexico.com/

 

[boulderjohn]

I looked into this once a couple years ago. Guaymas/SC is in the Sonora Free Trade Zone so there's different rules for driving there. So it's doable but you have to buy Mexico insurance for the rental car in addition to the CD Waiver.

This is from a condo website but it seems to be accurate:
Posada Condominiums San Carlos Mexico - Travel Page

From the Hertz website:

It should be warm in September. We dove there the third week in October and it was only cold below about 80'. I actually dove off San Pedro in just a t-shirt, my friends had skins or 3mils. Vis was about 30-40' max but we were there too late in the season and algae was dying off and clouding up the water. My buddy said below the thermocline it was crystal clear.

My friends drove while I flew into Guaymas. They got stuck at the border coming back and it took hours. Divers/Diveshops from here do it all the time, either in personal vehicles or buses. If you do fly there, it's $20pp for a shared van ride to San Carlos.

Marina Terra is where we stayed, it's pretty nice, the Marina in front of it is where all the dive boats leave from - we walked over with our gear. Just a few minutes back to town. There's 3-4 restaurants within walking distance and Surface Time (diveop) is right next door to the hotel. There's also two local markets within walking distance. There's a beach club just a short walk away - never been there but I heard it's OK.

An even better deal is to rent a condo from OceanView Realty there. You get more room and it's cheaper than the hotel rooms. I rented A17, my friends mentioned how nice it was. Upstairs, great view and breezes. The spa didn't seem to have been working for years but it made a great gear rinsetank..lol.

More info about San Carlos: San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

Thanks for the help. Hertz just quoted us $35 a day for insurance. They must have raised it because I am a Gold Club member.

We have a place already. We went to an autism benefit and won a condo week in a silent auction.

 

[ev780]

I flew to Tucson and drove once. Make sure you call the car rental company in Tucson and not Central Reservations. There is a lot of onformation about what is the Border Zone and the Hassle Free Zone. (I have never heard of the "Free Trade Zone") You may get there and find that you are not allowed past Kilometer 21.

Itis doable however just depends on which rental company. Some allow it and some dont.

Did I mention never travel at night?

 

[billeelou]

go onto the san carlos web site and get a condo for about 1/3 the price of a hotel room, we'll be there mid august with a 2 bdrm house for 125 night or 62.50 for each room....much better option


RE Max has an office there just for this stuff- I know you got one but just for the other folks that may need it

 

[boulderjohn]

go onto the san carlos web site and get a condo for about 1/3 the price of a hotel room, we'll be there mid august with a 2 bdrm house for 125 night or 62.50 for each room....much better option


RE Max has an office there just for this stuff- I know you got one but just for the other folks that may need it

Good information for most people, but we already have a place. My wife and I attended an autism benefit, and we placed the winning bid on a condo week in a silent auction. We didn't even know where the place was when we placed the bid. We just knew it was on the ocean somewhere.

 

[billeelou]

you will enjoy it but take at least a 3 mill full with you including hood as it starts to cool off in the fall, depending on when in September you go.....should be in the mid- low 70's, high 60s (deep) at that time

 

[gus055]

Last Sept. water temp low 80's-79*. A 3 mill suit good ideal. I don't know if I will dive this sept but I will be making a trip down middle of August.

I always drive my own vehicle, but I have seen rental car's in SC with US tag's.

 

[rossi777]

My family goes down to San Carlos every October. We've always found the water to still be warm, around 80 degrees.

Dean

 

[billeelou]

rosi- I looked up the posts on San Carlos from last year,2007, Surface was 81 but 40 feet down dropped to 75 according to their report...San Carlos home page diving forum posted 10-7-07,75s full 3 mil for my wife, I like a shorty at that temp.....