What do you do with your keys?

[Fishpie]

Remove the standard (non electronic) key from the fob and tuck it under my wetsuit on one of my wrists.

 

[Skittl1321]

You can get a valet key from the dealer.
No electronics.

Hopefully we can. One of our two cars only has electronic keys, and since it does not have a lockable glove compartment or separate trunk, it doesn't have a valet key. We'll have to call the dealer and find out.

The car with a valet key is too small to carry tanks.

 

[Sam Miller III]

This is very interesting with very interesting responses..

About 50 years ago I published an article in the LA County UW News about this same subject; hiding your keys while diving.

The basic solution was to have two sets of keys, one dedicated for the vehicle and one for diving. Even more so with the electronic imbedded keys and excessive replacement cost

The one for diving should be a dedicated non electronic key, used only while diving, nothing else. As I recall our current keys (my wife has a set as I do- double redundancy!) cost about $2.00 a piece at Home Depot.

Wear the key on a lanyard around the neck, or attach to a short string attached to your dive costume zipper, or as we did so many years ago have the wet suit manufacture incorporate a key pocket into the suit, generally inside around the chest.


The primary problem is not finding a place to secure your keys but what you do after the dive. If key had been in salt water and the key was immediately placed into the lock after a few dives the vehicle lock would become increasingly difficult to open due to internal corrosion and with the passage of time totally inoperable.


Therefore, after a dive wash the key to remove any traces of salt water or fresh water dampness . Best is the simplest, just place in your key in your mouth for a while, then air dry or as so many did have an old piece of dry cloth to wipe the key totally dry.

After that the key maybe used with out corrosion to the internal locking mechanism.

Hope this helps,

SDM

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

For here, valet key clipped in bc pocket. For tropics, if all shore diving (like Bonaire) I keep truck key and room key on a neck chain pretty much the whole trip accept when sleeping... For boat diving, just have a small otter box in mesh dive bag pocket for key, some cash, CC-Card, multi tool, coupla O-rings, cigar and lighter, etc.

 

[Skittl1321]

For boat diving, just have a small otter box in mesh dive bag pocket for key, some cash, CC-Card, multi tool, coupla O-rings, cigar and lighter, etc.

I figured if I was on a boat, I could just leave the key on the boat. For someone to then steal my car, they'd also have to leave me in the ocean, and really, that seems like the bigger problem...

 

[diversteve]

Witz from LeisurePro.com

I've used the same one - Keep-it-safe - Small ($6.95) for over a decade. Grease the o-ring every couple of years when I remember to. Rental car key, $20, c-card/credit card. Never been a hint of water inside.

I don't know if I'd trust my phone to one though since they're wider. I think what makes mine work is that the pressure is spread out over a much smaller reinforced area.

 

[tkaelin]

Small otterbox, waterproof to at least 100 ft. Not much bigger about the size that could hold a deck of cards. Use it for keys, credit card, license, c card and cash. Clip it to your bcd (comes with lanyard) then tuck it in BCD pocket and zipper or velcro it closed. Works everytime for us. Our car has electronic keys but comes with a standard valet key and we try to use that when diving just in case

 

[AfterDark]

I put my keys in a hidden / false compartment I made in the trunk. I put my remote in a old camera case rated to 200ft. That gets clipped to me or if I'm using a flag/float its clipped to the line keeper (no reel). The line keeper has a large rubber bungee loop on the other end of it that goes over my left shoulder. The case is positive so it floats the line keeper above and behind my left shoulder keeping it our of my way but easy to reach when I need to let out or take in line. Night diving in a new place especially if I'm solo I'll put my waterproof to 3' GPS in the case and my cellphone. I mark the egress as a waypoint. If I can't nav back w/ the compass then out comes the GPS. Haven't had to do that yet but nice to know I can. I shield the phone and/or the remote in a zip lock bag to protect it from splashes when opened to access the GPS.

 

[meagicano]

The primary problem is not finding a place to secure your keys but what you do after the dive. If key had been in salt water and the key was immediately placed into the lock after a few dives the vehicle lock would become increasingly difficult to open due to internal corrosion and with the passage of time totally inoperable.


Therefore, after a dive wash the key to remove any traces of salt water or fresh water dampness . Best is the simplest, just place in your key in your mouth for a while, then air dry or as so many did have an old piece of dry cloth to wipe the key totally dry.

After that the key maybe used with out corrosion to the internal locking mechanism.

Hope this helps,

SDM

I didn't even think of the salt water issue! That's an excellent point. I'm so used to diving fresh water. Thanks!

 

[kenny kustom]

Hopefully we can. One of our two cars only has electronic keys, and since it does not have a lockable glove compartment or separate trunk, it doesn't have a valet key. We'll have to call the dealer and find out.

The car with a valet key is too small to carry tanks.

Year make model?


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