spare key for surfing purposes?

would I be able to get a spare key cut at the home depot or would I have to go to the dealer to get one cut? Im concerned about just having a metal key when I go surfing, and wouldnt want to ruin the transponder chip in the original...

 

Lock your "real" keys in your car, and carry a cheapo duplicate with you on the water you can use just to open the door.

 

derp. just did a search after I made this thread. I guess it is possible to go to home depot to get one made, no questions asked.

locking my real keys in the truck was my true intention while paddling out

 

I've taken my transbonder key in the water 40 or 50 times and it hasn't failed me yet. I also keep a spare key in a hide a key on the truck.

 

Sounds like a hitch safe would be ideal for you. Hopefully you have a hitch

http://www.hitchsafe.com/

 

it's understandable to not want ur key in saltwater, but i'm pretty sure nothing will affect them as far as being messed up electronically

 

"No questions asked" is debatable. I had a spare made so I could warm up the engine in the winter, and still lock the truck. The guy at Canadian Tire argued with me for a full two minutes, explaining repeatedly how the chipped keys work, and that it would be useless to have a non-chipped duplicate cut. Funny thing is that he probably went home to his wife and told the story of the idiot who insisted on having a non-chipped key cut.

Back to your issue, I wouldn't be worried so much about the water destroying the chip (should be completely encased) as I would be about losing a $180 key to the ocean.

 

I have a spare key that has a gray head, I thought it was the valet key. Is this key chipped? If not I'll be using it when I go out in the water next time.

 

This.

 

How much do they charge? I tried having a couple spares made at walmart a couple years ago and of course they dont even fit 90% of the time.

 

This thread just sold me on the "Hitch Safe"

 

the gray key is chipped, the only difference with it, is that you can't use it to copy other chipped keys, but it'll be fine in the water. most of the time the valey keys aren't able to open trunks and glove boxes, but since we don't have locks on either, then that isn't an issue.

 

Actually, the chipped key is the master key. It's required in order to program new chipped keys.

 

the gray key has to be chipped to, or you wouldn't be able to start your car, you would only be able to open the door manually, which would be the same thing as having a metal key cut at walmart with no programming

 

valet key is ocean reisistant so far.. (the light gray one)

hitch safe looks pretty BA though....

 

I keep a cheap Home Depot cut key in my wallet for opening the doors in case I ever derp out and lock my keys in the truck.

 

is the black one not ocean resistant?

 

black one has always been attached to my keyless entry.. so i dont even bother. i keep the valet key in the truck for whenever i do go surfing and leave the keyless in the truck.

proximity key would be fantastic for the tacoma btw.

 

I have a couple or just regular no chip keys made at a Pep Boys specifically for the same reason. Though I have tried to get it cut elsewhere, sometimes they won't cut a chipped key. Just depends who's cutting I guess.

 

So, you had ten keys made, and only one worked? And you kept going back?