Put keys and a wallet in a small roll-top dry bag, clip it inside the boat or under a deck bungee, and take only what you need: one key, a license, one card. Electronic fobs are the weak point, since they can fail from humidity alone, so a fob should ride sealed rather than loose in a pocket.
The phone question gets asked constantly. The key question gets asked less and causes more actual problems, because a wet phone is a bad afternoon and a dead car fob is a bad evening in a parking lot with no cell service.
What actually happens to a car fob that gets wet?
Modern fobs are not sealed units. They are a circuit board, a battery, and a rubber membrane inside a plastic shell, and the failure mode is usually not a dramatic dunk. It is condensation. A fob that spent three hours in a damp PFD pocket can work fine at the takeout and then be dead by the time you have changed.
Which is the annoying part. Water does not have to get in fast to get in.
If your car has a mechanical backup key hidden inside the fob, find it now rather than in the parking lot. Most do. Most people have never taken theirs apart.
What are the actual options?
Leave it in the car and hide a mechanical key. A basic metal key in a magnetic box, or handed to somebody staying on shore, is the lowest-tech and most reliable answer. It only works if your vehicle has a mechanical lock cylinder, and it carries whatever risk your launch actually has.
Small dry bag, clipped in. A 2 liter holds a fob, a folded bill, a license, and a card with room left over, and it clips to a D-ring, a thwart, or a deck bungee. This is the option most day paddlers land on because it also solves phone, snack, and lip balm at the same time.
PFD pocket, sealed. Keeps everything on your body, which matters if there is any chance of separating from your boat. The pocket itself is not waterproof, so whatever goes in it still needs its own seal.
Waist or neck pouch. Fine for a phone and a card. Fobs and full keyrings get uncomfortable fast, and a lanyard around the neck is one more thing to snag.
Should keys ride on your body or in the boat?
On your body if you are on moving water, in surf, or anywhere a swim could separate you from your craft. In the boat, clipped, for flatwater and touring, where the boat is not going anywhere without you.
Whichever you choose, clip it. Loose small bags in a boat migrate under the seat and then leave through the scupper holes, and a bag that floats away is still a bag you have lost. Where to clip it covers the attachment points on a kayak, board, canoe, and outrigger.
What about the rest of the wallet?
Leave it. A license, one card, and a folded twenty covers every realistic situation on a day paddle, and the whole thing fits flat against the side of a small bag. The rest of a wallet is loyalty cards, receipts, and paper that turns to pulp.
One thing worth adding that most people leave out: a written emergency contact. Phones lock, and a wet phone locks permanently.
The small bag does more than you think
A 2 liter is the one that ends up on every paddle, because it is the one that holds the things you cannot replace at the takeout. Ours are roll-top and water resistant, built for rain, spray, and wet launches rather than for being held under, so for a fob you truly cannot lose, a small hard case inside the bag is the belt-and-braces version. Wild Currents makes the 2 liter in five prints, including one that only comes in this size. Browse the collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you put your keys when kayaking?
Either sealed in a small dry bag clipped inside the boat, or on your body in a PFD pocket inside something waterproof. On moving water or in surf, keep them on your body, since a swim can separate you from your boat.
Will a car key fob survive getting wet?
Sometimes, but not reliably. Fobs are not sealed, and they often fail from humidity rather than immersion. A fob can work at the takeout and be dead an hour later, so it should ride sealed rather than loose in a damp pocket.
Should I just leave my keys in the car?
It is a real option if your vehicle has a mechanical key that will unlock it. Hide the metal key or hand it to someone on shore. Weigh it against how exposed your launch actually is.
What size dry bag do I need for keys and a wallet?
A 2 liter is plenty. It holds a fob, a license, a card, cash, a phone, and a snack, and it is small enough to clip out of the way instead of sliding around the bottom of the boat.
Do I need to clip a small dry bag in?
Yes. Small bags migrate under seats and out through scupper holes, and a floating bag you cannot reach is still a lost bag. Clip it to a D-ring, thwart, or deck bungee.