I know this is a strange question, but where do you keep your stuff when you’re at the pool, waterslide, lazy river, etc. at a hotel or resort? I’ve left my stuff (room key, lip gloss, sunscreen, a bit of cash) in a little purse hidden under my towel before when I’m at the beach or beside a pool and been paranoid about it getting stolen so I can’t really enjoy my time in the water, but what if you’re wandering around? Are room key cards waterproof so I could hang it on a lanyard around my neck? I can’t relax. 
Public pools and water slides will often have lockers with the key attached to a safety pin. You can then pin the key to your swimsuit.
Now you know why I walk funny when at the pool.
On an actual river, I put them in a zippered case, inside a dry box that is strapped to my raft.
Rig to Flip.
When I ride my bike to the beach, I take a key to my house and bike lock, a $20 bill, and a cheap backpack with a towel, a fresh tshirt, and some change for vending machines.
The $20 bill stays in the little pocket inside my swim trunks, and the keys get tied (with secure knots) to the cinching rope to hang out in safety amongst my genitals.
If someone steals my backpack, I’m out a cheap t-shirt and some change, but it’s never happened, thankfully.
The key is to travel light. Worrying about something getting stolen is not a good way to relax at the beach!
ETA: As for hotel room keys/cards, just leave 'em at the desk and pick 'em up when you get back.
Moving from GQ to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
What’s a ‘lazy river’?
When I run on the beach, my car key is all I carry in the pocket of my bathing suit, and all my junk is secured in the car.
Yeah, me too. I just keep my car key in my trunks (there is a little web pocket in there) and keep a towel with me. Always keep a towel with you. I learned that from Douglas Adams.
A river that typically goes around the entire waterpark in a circular fashion. You can use it as a slow form of transportation from one part of the park to another, or just lounge in it all day and go around and around.
Another example.
(I can’t be the only one who thought of that, but MPB in Salt Lake hasn’t been around)
Wow, that makes total sense. Thank you, I would never have thought of that.
I buy “river shorts” which are swimwear/cargo short hybrids. The best ones will have at least one or two zippered pockets with drain holes. Anything crucial goes in the zippered pockets so no worries about rapids, surf, shark attack, etc. causing stuff to fall out. Just make sure the shorts are secured to you! Anything that can’t get wet goes in a dry bag in my kayak.
You won’t (or shouldn’t, if the hotel has any kind of security) be able to retrieve your hotel key from the front desk without some form of identification (e.g. driver’s license).
Whenever we go on vacation, I take along our Aquapac Keymaster so that we can go snorkeling or to the pool without worrying about someone stealing our valuables. We’ve had ours for over 5 years and it’s still in great shape. Highly recommend them. They also make them for cameras and iPads, etc.
Why worry about this? Do you think people spend thousands to go to a resort to steal a purse with an unknown quantity of money in it? I think someone would say something if a staff member took your purse.
resorts that costs thousands of dollars aren’t the only places with water parks
Thieves aren’t after just money, but your credit cards, your cameras, your Blackberries, your Kindles, and your iPads.
It’s a big assumption that thieves would pay to stay at the resort. It could be as simple as driving to a resort and plopping themselves down on poolside chairs, or just throwing a towel down on the beach next to a nice resort. The key is to act like you belong there. (Hell, I know posters who brag about doing this on travel boards, not because they want to steal anything, but because they’re too cheap to pay to stay at nicer resorts.)
Here is the list of items OP was talking about stashing near the pool:
Why ruin your vacation being paranoid about losing that stuff?
Once again, guys get useful pockets and women don’t. I never knew swim trunks had pockets. That isn’t going to work in a teeny bikini or spandex anything.
ExcitedIdiot: it should be clear by the rest of the thread that people bring more valuable things to the beach too; and anyway, you wouldn’t worry about somebody filching your room key? 1) I need that 'cause otherwise I’m stranded in the lobby in my swimsuit till I get a replacement and 2) anyone with my room key can get into my room. Where all my stuff is.
Only if they know what room you’re in. I haven’t stayed at a hotel in 20 years (or more) that had the room number on the key card. I guess older motels might still do that (think Bates Motel).
At water parks, they sell these waterproof thingies, made of plastic and a little bigger than a Blackberry. You can put stuff in there, and attach this to your wrist via an adjustable cord, and go swimming. Don’t know if someone mentioned them.