Ther fact that you realize there's alot you don't know is a good sign. The problem begins when people don't have a clue as to how much they don't know and find out the hard way. If you are serious about going tech I'd advise joining the deco stop and just lurk for awhile. Read and let it sink in. Going to tech is when you really start to see that while this is fun, exciting, safe, an adventure, you'll meet new people, go new places, seee knew things, yada, yada, yada- if you dive outside your training and experience and in some cases equipment this sport WILL kill you in a heartbeat. The agencies don't like us to teach that but it's true. Next check around to find a good tech oriented shop and instructor. Again TDS is your friend here. You'll get no BS over there.
Once you find one ask lots of questions then ask some more. Next open the wallet wide. If you're not willing or able to make the gear switches and adjustments your instructor requires he/she may not let you even begin the class. Some may let you start in "semi-tech" configurations (h valves- console 1st couple dives-jacket bc etc) I don't recommend it. You're gonna switch anyway why try to half ass the beginning. Buy a BPW now and start diving it. Even if you get a singles wing to start you can always buy another wing for doubles and use the singles for traveling. Again some don't want to buy two wings. It's too much money they say. These don't need to be doing tech. I have one BPW for singles and one for doubles. When you really start getting into it those are a drop in the bucket.
Next get your buoyancy down starting as soon as possible. Do everything in a horizontal position. Ascents, descents, mask drills, air share, etc. try the latter two while hover horizontal 2 feet above the bottom or platform. You should not change depth more than a foot or so. Next start doing them in midwater with no visual reference and again your depth should not vary more than 2-3 ft to start. I just got back from bonaire and diving the reefs and walls in that clear water was a good place to practice holding depths while swimming and not using my comp. I saw many people who were just swimming along and suddenly finding themselves 10,20, 30 or more feet deeper than they intended. Learn to use what's available to you. I practiced doing it while not looking at the wall and instead looking out into blue water or getting away from the reef and just looking down into the abyss where there was no bottom visible and the vis was 100 feet plus. I paid attention to my ears and sinuses. swim for a minute the glance at the reef then back out into the blue. Then check the guage. You can go to 80 or 90 from 50 very quickly. But if you pay attention to your body, "wait, I need to equalize, add air to the wing, feel like I'm sinking, etc" you probably are changing depth more than you want. By midweek I found myself comfortable with swimming to the boat well away from the reef and going along for up to 20 minutes and not needing to do more than glance at my depth for more than 2 or 3 times and finding I could maintain my depth within a few feet.
Most of all while it's alot of fun tech is not ow or aow. Things can go from good to deep doodoo very fast. Know your gear. Know it intimately. Know it blind. And most of all know that it can fail. If it's not properly serviced or cared for and sometimes even if it is. This is why you need to get used to having 2 or 3 of everything. Masks, regs, guages, cutting tools, lights, etc. See opening wallet paragraph. Have fun.
Later on, we managed and to be honest, it did set things up for subsequent training and being able to prioritize issues and address them methodically.
