Car keys and water pressure

[clownfishsydney]

A chipped key will leak, it may take a long time, but it will. I know a couple of people who took their key diving in a wetsuit and eventually it failed. As others have said, have a non-chipped one cut and take that. I would not even risk it inside my drysuit.

 

[Phil_C]

I use one of these -

Mooncode Key Safe (E9) (TT) - British Sub-Aqua Club

I hide the main keys in the car and then put a door key in the safe and lock it off to the chassis - I have a landrover so there is a wealth of secure places to lock it. No worry except old age and forgetting the code ! - P

 

[Edward3c]

My key is proximity one which won't let me lock the car if it's inside.

Now in the 5th year of having it inside my drysuit and I can lock and unlock the car whilst zipped-up.

I' even forgotten my phone in the back pocket of jeans, servived so far. Biggest risk it crushing it.

Kind regards

 

[drbill]

I once made the mistake of diving wet with my keys in my bathing suit pocket. I lost them but recovered them the following day by some miracle. I couldn't determine whether pressure did anything to them because the water certainly did! I can't imagine them being affecting at recreational depths if carried within a dry suit since there is probably very little compressibility.

 

[TMHeimer]

A chipped key will leak, it may take a long time, but it will. I know a couple of people who took their key diving in a wetsuit and eventually it failed. As others have said, have a non-chipped one cut and take that. I would not even risk it inside my drysuit.

Yes. Not smart to take it on a dive at all IMHO. Now if these chip keys didn't cost over a ^&(%#&$ hundred dollars to replace I may consider it.

---------- Post added April 16th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ----------

I use one of these -

Mooncode Key Safe (E9) (TT) - British Sub-Aqua Club

I hide the main keys in the car and then put a door key in the safe and lock it off to the chassis - I have a landrover so there is a wealth of secure places to lock it. No worry except old age and forgetting the code ! - P

I have put the key in countless places attached under the car using those magnetic boxes and other methods. A good idea if you don't mind retrieving it from there each time. Someone can see you do that as well. Burrying the zip lock bag is easier.

---------- Post added April 16th, 2014 at 12:05 PM ----------

Assuming suit doesn't flood....assuming one uses a dive flag...assuming someone doesn't find your hidey place, these are good options. Another is getting your key cut on a stainless steel fob. The more professional security houses can do it, though it can be expensive. Then you'll have to disable any remote security system you have.

I've gotten my chipped key pretty wet before and had no problems, but I'm curious as well what the limitations might be.

Does one know how to, or want to disable the alarm each time??? You can just use the non-chip metal key to get in but have to hit the brake or something else when the alarm goes off--another less than desirable option. Unless you have something like a remote to first disable the alarm, but there's something else electronic you've got outside the car when you dive.

I guess it may be possible to disable the alarm by pushing a button on the dashboard (they have EVERYTHING on dashboards nowadays), but where you're parked for the dive may be exactly where you want the alarm on.

A little off topic, but I always hide a spare chip key inside the car. If you lock yourself out you can always call someone (CAA, AAA, etc.), but what if you actually lose the key and have no spare anywhere? How do you get the car home? I'm amazed at how many people I know who don't carry spare car keys--or have a spare house key hidden somewhere.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I dive with my car's "clicker" in my drysuit pocket, situated in a way I can feel the button through the drysuit to unlock the car without unzipping the suit. I've had it down to well below 200 feet without issues.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[herr2720]

Attach a sealed container to your dive flag and put the keys in that.

I've had people steal my dive flag and float.....

 

[nimoh]

I doubt there is an issue with a key inside a drysuit (assuming the drysuit doesn't flood).

I think the only issue (aside from flooding) would be if the key is sealed well, the compression might damage the electronics by squeezing the outer case, or cracking the outer case. However, I don't believe these keys are sealed well enough for this to happen and the inner air space would just equalize with the inside of the drysuit.

 

[herr2720]

For my wife's goofy Saab the door key and transponder/ignition plug separate so I just leave the transponder hidden inside the car (usually in the springs under the seat or in the fuse panel by the steering wheel if anyone wants to steel it) then just put the door key in in my undergarment chest pocket when dry or bolt snap it to a loop in my thigh pocket when wet.
For my truck the key itself is chipped so I just keep it hidden in the truck and use a valet key I had made.
Both ways the alarm sounds when you unlock the door until you can dig out the chipped key which is annoying, but really no one gives you a second look around here.

 

[drinksfromtap]

I take my chipped Mazda key (no buttons) with me in my bathing suit pocket under my wetsuit when I dive. It still works fine, but I tend to stay shallow (20 ft or less, but have taken the key down to 70+ feet). I've got a third "spare" so if the one I dive with ever dies I can get a new one cut and reprogram it myself... If I had a car with a key blank that cost more than about $15-20 I wouldn't take it down with me.