Where do you stash car keys when shore diving?

[Birdy]

Hi all , I'm going to Curacao in a month for 2 weeks of shore diving, and wonder how or what is the best way to stash your car keys when parked at remote sites and whether to leave your car unlocked or not? With all the new cars having electronic keys, I can't just zip them up in my wetsuit. As it is I don't usually take but enough cash for the day and no credit cards unless necessary so nothing of value is left in the vehicle. It's getting hard to know whats best to do. Some say leave the car unlocked so thieves won't break out a window to get in the car and others say if you leave the car unlocked and it is stolen you're hosed with the rental company. Other than St Thomas and St Croix I haven't run across much crime in the carib, but I'm starting to hear more than a few stories of probs in Curacao. Any thoughts would be most appreciated----Ted

[Birdy]

Hi all , I'm going to Curacao in a month for 2 weeks of shore diving, and wonder how or what is the best way to stash your car keys when parked at remote sites and whether to leave your car unlocked or not? With all the new cars having electronic keys, I can't just zip them up in my wetsuit. As it is I don't usually take but enough cash for the day and no credit cards unless necessary so nothing of value is left in the vehicle. It's getting hard to know whats best to do. Some say leave the car unlocked so thieves won't break out a window to get in the car and others say if you leave the car unlocked and it is stolen you're hosed with the rental company. Other than St Thomas and St Croix I haven't run across much crime in the carib, but I'm starting to hear more than a few stories of probs in Curacao. Any thoughts would be most appreciated----Ted

[DivingCRNA]

In my shorts pocket, inside my drysuit....

[Illini_Fan]

Haven't encountered that with a rental car -- I know when I do shore diving using my own car, I lock the keys in the car and clip the plastic "valet" key inside my BC pocket. But my car has the remote access buttons integrated as part of the key

Most rental cars don't have an integrated key / keyfob, so you should be able to remove the actual car key from the ring and leave the keyfob in the car.

[Zenagirl]

We bought a small Otterbox (Pelican is another brand) that's good to 150'. We put keys, driver's license, and cash in it and shove it in a BC pocket. If the rental car has a "fob" we make sure to leave the fob in our condo/hotel and just use the key part. If the otterbox leaks (which it hasn't yet), it's no big deal to have a wet key and cash.

[terrillja]

You could get an extra light and yank out the batteries and bulb, or you could go the commercial route with this:

OMS Water Proof Canister, DIR and Technical, OMS, OMS Water Proof Canister

[mitchy]

I usually hide the key somewhere, like a wheelwell. I don't really like carrying keys in the water as I'm paranoid of losing them.

[jwdizney]

Originally Posted by Zenagirl

We bought a small Otterbox (Pelican is another brand) that's good to 150'. We put keys, driver's license, and cash in it and shove it in a BC pocket. If the rental car has a "fob" we make sure to leave the fob in our condo/hotel and just use the key part. If the otterbox leaks (which it hasn't yet), it's no big deal to have a wet key and cash.

ditto that!.
Otter Box 1000, Accessories: Drybox, Otter, Otter Box 1000

fits nicely in BC pocket and hasn't leaked yet!

[maggs_the]

Originally Posted by Birdy

Hi all , I'm going to Curacao in a month for 2 weeks of shore diving, and wonder how or what is the best way to stash your car keys when parked at remote sites and whether to leave your car unlocked or not? With all the new cars having electronic keys, I can't just zip them up in my wetsuit. As it is I don't usually take but enough cash for the day and no credit cards unless necessary so nothing of value is left in the vehicle. It's getting hard to know whats best to do. Some say leave the car unlocked so thieves won't break out a window to get in the car and others say if you leave the car unlocked and it is stolen you're hosed with the rental company. Other than St Thomas and St Croix I haven't run across much crime in the carib, but I'm starting to hear more than a few stories of probs in Curacao. Any thoughts would be most appreciated----Ted

but i'll be interested in your responses because we're going to Curacao in August and i was wondering the same thing. over and over i hear "dont lock the vehicle AND leave the windows rolled down" so yeah, what do you do about the keys? i wonder if it's not common for the car to be taken since it is a fairly small island. couldnt be that hard to catch the car thief??

where are you going to be on Curacao? we're staying at All West Apartments on West Punt. we thought it might be time to TRY it on our own versus the resorts this time... especially when it's primarily shore diving anyway. we're doing 2 days of boat dives but the rest is shore diving.

but i've heard nothing but great things about Sunset and Habitat.

[KGNickl]

Originally Posted by Illini_Fan

Haven't encountered that with a rental car -- I know when I do shore diving using my own car, I lock the keys in the car and clip the plastic "valet" key inside my BC pocket. But my car has the remote access buttons integrated as part of the key

Most rental cars don't have an integrated key / keyfob, so you should be able to remove the actual car key from the ring and leave the keyfob in the car.

+1 for locking everything in the car and taking a single valet key w/ me (BCD has a small front zipper that fits ID and a key).