What to do with car keys?

[CUunderH2O]

Hi all,

This is a bit of a silly question, but...

I'm doing my OW certification dives this weekend, and I've been told there's no lockers to stash keys and stuff. I've got a VW that uses those special encoded keys, and I'm wondering: if I get the valet key wet (not the folding remote lock key), will it still work? If it didn't work, it would be a bit of a problem since I have to drive an hour and a half to get to/from the dive site. I thought of putting the key in a ziploc bag, but will the seal hold at 40 ft? Anyone with a VW dive with their keys? pls help! tia

 

[redacted]

With my Ford, I had plain copy made of the encoded key. It will unlock doors but not start engine. I lock encoded key in car and buddy & I each carry one of the plain ones.

 

[louisianadiver]

You can always take the batteries out of a dive light and put your keys inside the light. -Clay

 

[SueMermaid]

I dropped my car key in the Mediterranean last summer in Spain, so I am extra careful with my keys. I stash a valet key in my light like Louisianadiver.

 

[CUunderH2O]

That's a neat idea, using a dive light. But what if I need to use my light?

 

[wrongkey]

If I have my canister light with me, I normally just drop them in the canister. If not, I take the key off, put it in the pocket of my swimsuit & the wetsuit over that.

If you're taking a key off the ring to take with you, be careful to take the right one if you have more than one car key. This is really, really important. You don't want to take your wife's van to the dive site, then fish the key to your pickup out of your swimsuit at the end of the dive, with all your stuff locked in the vehicle.

 

[gfisher4792]

Two suggestions: Get a key sized dry box; here's a link for a popular one: http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=OB1000

Or, if you just go with a copy to unlock your doors, make a necklace out of cave line and wear it while you're diving. No worry about it falling out of a pocket, and if you find yourself in a situation where the necklace is in danger of being lost, you may have bigger problems to worry about than getting back in your car

 

[starfish365]

Two suggestions: Get a key sized dry box; here's a link for a popular one: http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=OB1000

Or, if you just go with a copy to unlock your doors, make a necklace out of cave line and wear it while you're diving. No worry about it falling out of a pocket, and if you find yourself in a situation where the necklace is in danger of being lost, you may have bigger problems to worry about than getting back in your car

What is cave line?

 

[CUunderH2O]

I was looking for an Aquapac-type of container that could fit my key, but I haven't found one in my area. I'd like to keep accessories to a minimum on those two days, at least. I have a good chain I use for keys, it used to hold dog tags and has held up well on many trips to the ocean. I'll have to see if the car dealer can make an unencoded key for me before the weekend.

 

[DennisW]

If I am doing a shore dive, I put my key on a shoe string and tie it around my neck like a necklace. When I get back to the car, I have a 2 liter bottle of water sitting under the back tire to rinse off my key before I put it in the door lock (this is important). Of course if it's a boat dive, I put it in my dry bag.

This was something I learned from Walter.