What to do with car keys?

[diver_paula]

If I had a second dive light... did I mention I'm not yet certified? And lacking most equipment except mask, snorkel, weight belt, boots & fins? I'm trying not to weigh myself down with extra equipment, especially since I intend to drag a camera with me every time I dive. I'll wait until AFTER I get certified to spend all my $$ on worthless gadgets. Only because I know I'll buy more than a few of those...

My real dilemma is that I don't think I can take my encoded valet key into the water, hence the ziploc question. The area we will be diving is apparently crowded and there's a festival being held there that weekend, hence I won't be hiding the key under a rock. I'm going to try 2 ziploc bags and hope for the best. Unless I find a neat little dry bag for my key

Make a friend in your class and lock your keys in their car. Or if there is a land based person for the class (i.e. someone's non-diving spouse or a instructor's helper) have them hold the keys.

 

[kidspot]

not scuba, but when I go hiking (and it seems to always rain hard when I do) I have put things into double zip lock bags only to have them get wet anyway - I started putting things like extra socks etc.. into "seal-a-meal" bags that were heat sealed shut - no leakage, just rip them open when needed and be sure the air was squeezed out before sealing. The machines can usually be found at garage sales, etc. for under $10.

anyway - I don't know if they would work for scuba, but I would assume zip locks won't -

 

[akscubainst]

I just leave them in the ignition or at best put them under the fuel cap door or maybe the seat. I never lock my doors.

Dave

 

[MikeC]

CU, call your VW dealer and ask if the valet key is water proof. I would like to know as well. Is there going to be some surface support at the site that can hold the key?

 

[gfisher4792]

I tend to advise people not to try to hide their keys on land (ie, under a rock, in the gas cap door, under the bumper, etc.) because of a few incidents where a thief will scout out well known scuba spots, watch people gear up, and see what they do with their keys. Once you're in the water, all you're doing is hoping that your keys will be there when you get back. And don't depend on other divers in the parking area to note suspicious activity around your car. People are there to dive (or steal), not police the area.

My $0.02

 

[Allen42]

What? A diver with only one light? Seriously, of course, you need to dedicate a light for keys. Remember to stuff a 1 or 2 pound soft weight inside the light (if a regular 4 C cell light) or it'll float like crazy with keys instead of batteries. This is the kind of stuff I tried to cover in my book, The Certified Diver's Handbook. -Clay

For all that trouble, why not buy a much cheaper waterproof canister to slip your keys into?

 

[CUunderH2O]

hi diver_paula,

Unfortunately, the group I'm doing the dives with has no-one from my classroom or pool sessions in it. We had a choice of several weekends to go on our OW check-out weekend, and I guess I chose the one without anyone familiar! On another note, even my instructor won't be there -- it's another couple of instructors, so I'm a bit nervous about it; everyone does things a bit differently, right?

MikeC,

I just called the VW parts department at the dealership and they said it would be very risky to take the valet key diving; they said there was a 50-50 chance it wouldn't work after that, so I'm not risking it. If I can find a small dry bag kind of thing (so I can put a credit card or cash in it, too), I'll put my key in it too. Seems like the safest way to go, especially since I'm not familiar with the area.

As for not locking my car, I'd be crazy not to lock it. It's a nice car and I haven't finished paying for it yet!

 

[diveh3]

Why do you need your keys with you while diving?
Have a spare entry key made and stop at the hardware store to buy a magnetic spare key box.
put the key in the box and stick it to any metal object. usually the undercarriage or bumper . Lock everything else up in the car.
I leave my key box there always, It's bailed me out many times over.

 

[Gdon]

Not a silly question at all..
Find a hidden tree limb and attach one of these:
http://www.4realestateagent.com/product.php?product_id=5

For more security you might disable the computer chip in one spare key (a hammer should work) so it will open the door but not start the car. Then hide this key in the key box, under a rock, etc. Hide an ignition key somewhere in the car, or even buy a stong box and put it in there, inside the car. None of this means you won't get ripped off but it does decrease the odds.

 

[Mako Mark]

I used to put my encoded key in the cannister of my light, but with the new HID, there isnt space. I now put it on a string around my neck under the drysuit.

Man, I forgot about that, summer is coming I am going to have to start diving wet. I think Ill try the cheap copy door key with the encoded ignition key hidden somewhere inside trick.