I'm starting to see a few of those keysafe thingys hanging off cars at the beach.

I've not really got any need for them because I can easily open my car with a simple 7 buck key I had cut. I can't start the car unless I have the proper remote control key but I just hide that inside the car.

I just hang the door key around my neck with a cord. Actually it once came in handy when I needed some cord to tie a new leggy on with.

My car's a Toyota rav and the cars I seem to see the keysafes on are things like VW golfs. I'm guessing that they may not have the option of a cheap door only key and they must always use the remote control key.

Both of my remote control keys are stuffing up in a big way and they cost a bomb to replace. In fact so much so that when I next buy a car, I'm going to really look closely at the replacement costs and convenience of door keys and it may even influence my purchase.

You'd be hard pressed to find new cars that don't have the key with immobiliser and keyless entry in one.

I'm somewhat lucky with my subi as i have a separate keyless entry remote to my actual key. However my key is still worth $160+ as it has a chip inside that takes care of the immobiliser when its inserted into the ignition.

I put mine in my key pocket of my ebomb.

I'm a bit dubious about these keysafe things...it kind of says to me "hey i'm out surfing I'm just going to leave my keys in this little box for everyone to see"

I'd like to see how hard they are to actually break into...

Great topic OBCT! I have a key safe that I hang off the towbar but as POOMAN indicated it really does highlight that this is where the key is to start my car. The reason why I went with the safe is it really annoyed me trying to reach up under my car to find a good hiding spot while there are a dozen other people in the car park with any one of them a potential thief. And then after a cold surf trying to find the key while shivering uncontrollably. In the future I will still use the key safe but I am going with your idea of getting a cheap key cut that will open the doors but will not start the car. Cheers for the idea! Reality is that if somebody wants to get into your car they only need to break a window. I am more interested in not getting my car knocked off.

Just quickly on the subject of keys hidden under cars, I recently needed my hidden key and found it was gone. It was in one of those magnetic boxes and the magnet probably just wasn't strong enough.

I now have the key held on with 2 magnets of my own that I recycled from really old computers with those huge hard drive discs.

They are the best magnets you are ever likely to get your paws on so if you ever see one of those old computers in the big boxes being thrown out, just see if you can quickly whip out the disc drive, pull it apart and save the 2 magnets that look like disc brake calipers on the outside edge of the disc.

I use them for heaps of stuff, especially welding.

I used to leave them on the beach in my backpack,I would normally pick out a family who looked settled for a big day at the beach and ask them to keep an eye out for anyone other than me claiming the bag. They are always obliging. One day as I returned to the car I noticed a couple of policemen talking to a couple of guys who left there keys in a towel on the beach.The story was there had been a gang targeting people locking their cars,wait until they go in the water then pounce and make off with valuables. Now these poor guys lived two hours out of town and it was a company car loaded with expensive items.I loaned them my phone to make arrangements for a ride back home and tried to contact the landlord for a set of keys to enter their rented flat.
After seeing this I take my spare key and attach it to the elastic inside my boardies or in the key pocket inside my wettie.


mac

On the lock your key system. I was going to buy one at the shop were I purchase all my gear from,when I asked the question,what do you guys think of this system?The reply was simple.
Don't buy one they are easy to bust open.

mac

And that is an excellent example of why it's a good idea to give as much of your business as possible to one shop.

Got a Subi and had a surf key cut for $4 - I put the surf key in the key pocket on the leg of my wettie or the pocket of my shorts (they have a little bungy loop that goes throught the key ring hole)