Where / How to learn sump diving in the US?

[jtsfour]

I am very interested in learning sump diving. I figured someone on here would have some knowledge to share.

I am currently Full Cave and want to continue with progressing in 'standard' cave diving. However, I have always been very interested in diving sumps and bringing gear into dry caves. I have some dry caving experience but not lots of it. I am not affiliated with any NSS grotto.

I am currently located in Houston but am from the TAG area. Does anyone know of any sumps or people diving sumps in the caves around Austin?

I know this is very much a niche subset of an already niche sport. Any knowledge would be appreciated!

 

[kensuf]

The NSS-CDS has a sumpdiving committee, Jon Lillestolen heads it up. You should be able to get in touch with him by emailing sumpdiving@nsscds.org

 

[jtsfour]

The NSS-CDS has a sumpdiving committee, Jon Lillestolen heads it up. You should be able to get in touch with him by emailing sumpdiving@nsscds.org

I appreciate the info! I will reach out to them.

 

[mdwalter]

I am very interested in learning sump diving. I figured someone on here would have some knowledge to share.

I am currently Full Cave and want to continue with progressing in 'standard' cave diving. However, I have always been very interested in diving sumps and bringing gear into dry caves. I have some dry caving experience but not lots of it. I am not affiliated with any NSS grotto.

I am currently located in Houston but am from the TAG area. Does anyone know of any sumps or people diving sumps in the caves around Austin?

I know this is very much a niche subset of an already niche sport. Any knowledge would be appreciated!

I had the same questions and the same goals myself about 15 years ago, and finally made my first sump dive just last January here in PA. Here's how that went down. After 10+ years as a member of NSS-CDS, I finally joined my local grotto 3 years ago (and they made me chairman of that grotto two years ago, but that's another story). When I was first elected chair of the Greater Allentown Grotto, I took it upon myself to make arrangements with a local show cave to allow myself and another diver to dive through a short sump into a room that nobody had been to in 40 years (the last time the water was low enough to not be sumped). It was kid of anticlimactic in a way because the sump was only like 5 ft deep and 20 feet long, if that and the "Queen's Room" beyond was not real big. It did appear that there could be a second sump at the other end of the room leading on to something more, but we did not have the time, gear or permission to explore that at the time. We intend to go check that out, but have not had the opportunity yet. Meanwhile, I also want to dive a few known sumps in some other caves in the MAR and NRO regions, but have yet to gain permission from management. The bottom line is there is not really a clear path to getting started in sump diving, but don't wait a decade like I did to get more involved in the NSS. I got some good insight into sump diving as NSS convention last year and I've been told there may be some trips involving sumps running during Convention 2024 (Back in TAG), if one can find out about them from the right people in the know. I'm gonna try.

 

[mdwalter]

The NSS-CDS has a sumpdiving committee, Jon Lillestolen heads it up. You should be able to get in touch with him by emailing sumpdiving@nsscds.org

Great info. I'm going to get in touch with him, as well on behalf of myself and a few other cave (spring / cenote) divers who want to learn more about sump diving without having to figure it all out on our own. Thanks.

 

[rjack321]

I am very interested in learning sump diving. I figured someone on here would have some knowledge to share.

I am currently Full Cave and want to continue with progressing in 'standard' cave diving. However, I have always been very interested in diving sumps and bringing gear into dry caves. I have some dry caving experience but not lots of it. I am not affiliated with any NSS grotto.

I am currently located in Houston but am from the TAG area. Does anyone know of any sumps or people diving sumps in the caves around Austin?

I know this is very much a niche subset of an already niche sport. Any knowledge would be appreciated!

1) Full cave is a start. How are your reel skills? They need to be A+. You'll be running line every dive (at best there will be old tattered line in an existing sump) and frequently in a small space and crappy reel work will leave you entangled.
2) Did you full cave include survey? You'll be expected to survey everything you dive.
3) On the plus side you'll very very rarely need to jump anywhere, T maybe but also highly unlikely
4) You're asking in the wrong place. Hook up with your local cavers and NSS grotto. Sumps are just temporarily flooded dry caves (lol not really but attitude wise they are not "cave diving" like your courses)
5) You mostly need a Texas mentor which shouldn't be that hard to find in the Austin area. Plan go on a few pub nights & dry caving trips to get your name and interests shared out there.