In scuba diving, nearly every piece of gear is designed to go underwater with you and withstand the water, pressure, salt, and other elements encountered. Some equipment, like cameras, have underwater housings specifically designed to keep them dry. But what happens when you need to take things underwater that need to stay dry and protected, but don’t have with a water and pressure-proof solution available? That usually leads to either using an improvised solution, or leaving that item onshore.

When diving offshore, I usually carry a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) that is waterproof down to 15 meters, but I regularly dive much deeper than that and don’t want to risk damaging it. Also, as a frequent shore diver, I’ve often been forced to stash my car keys under a rock or somewhere on the car when I go diving, since key fobs are not waterproof. If I’m up in Northern California on the Sonoma or Mendocino coastline, I’m not that worried, but finding a good place to stash a key when diving in a busy shoreline park in Hawaii never feels that safe.

This is where DryFob® comes in.

I was recently online looking for a solution for both of these items, and came across the DryFob being discussed in several online forums. I visited their website and it looked like a great solution and I placed my order for 2 of their products – the original DryFob and DryFob XL.

The DryFob XL is the largest size, suitable for carrying a PLB, car keys, and other small items

What is this thing?

DRYFOB is a rugged, anodized waterproof aluminum waterproof container for scuba diving and other water sports. It’s available in 3 sizes, is neutrally buoyant with a key fob inside, and can sustain depths of at least 330 feet. The screw-on cap is sealed with dual O-rings which can be easily inspected and replaced if needed. DryFob cases come in 3 different sizes (original, large, and extra-large) and 2 different colors – red and blue. The lid has two attachment points that can accommodate a lanyard, bungee, ring, or clip, so divers can carry it inside a BC, wetsuit, or drysuit pocket, clip it onto their BC or backplate, or store it in a carrying pouch underwater. Aside from the functionality, the machine work on these cases are truly a thing of beauty.

Dual o-rings provide a water-tight seal down to 330 feet underwater and can easily be inspected and replaced

Sizes and Colors

DryFob cases are available in red and blue; pick your favorite color. There are 3 different sizes available, depending on what you plan on carrying underwater. Beyond the two color options and 3 sizes, each DryFob is identical in features and function.

The original Dryfob container is 3.75″ tall and 1.65″ wide (inside dimensions), and designed to fit standard car key FOBs. The large version measures 3.93″ tall x 1.81″ wide and can house some of the larger key FOBs such as the Jeep, New Mazda, Buick and Volvo, and the DryFob XL, which measures 4.8″ tall x 2.75″ wide, can house most popular PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) sizes with room to spare for perhaps your fishing license, cash, or similar items.

Quality

The quality and craftsmanship on each DryFob is outstanding, and the anodized aluminum is both rugged and beautiful. The Florida-based company was started by two Master Scuba Divers, and they personally inspect, assemble, and package them to ensure quality. Units from every production batch is tested in their pressure chamber to verify that they meet their quality specifications.

The smaller DryFob is the perfect size for carrying car keys

Price

It’s been said that quality doesn’t come cheap, but given the utility and quality of the DryFob products, the price is reasonable. The original DryFob container retails for $49.95, the Large version retails for $59.99, and the XL size retails for $99.99. Each one comes with spare 0-rings, and the Large and XL versions also come with a small tube of o-ring lube as well. (A friend of mine hid, then couldn’t find their rental car fob last summer and the rental company charged them $250 for a lost key, so perhaps that is one basis for comparison!).

 

The DryFob is a great solution to keeping keys and other small items safe, dry, and secure when diving underwater. If you’re a hunter, backpacker, fisherman, or camper, these would also be a great addition for keeping matches dry and of course keeping your PLB safe. It’s nice to see this level of quality on a product that serves a great purpose for divers, and one that was, in fact, created by two divers who were looking for a solution to a problem many of us face when diving.

For more information, check out their website at dryfob.com. They’re also available on Amazon.com and many other online and retail stores.

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Words & Photos by Chris Constantine, California Diver Magazine
All products referenced above were purchased at retail and reflect a personal first-hand experience with this product.