Should I get a drysuit and start getting comfortable with single tank, then get some hp100 doubles and start getting comfortable and then go for fundamentals tech pass or is that too lofty of a goal at this point?
I first took Fundies in a single-tank rig with wetsuit, and it was hard enough for me. At the time I had no inclination to do any tech diving, so doubles and drysuit weren't even on my radar. A year and a half or so later I bought doubles and a drysuit and took a combined Doubles and Drysuit primer course with a GUE instructor. I did that on the recommendation of an experienced GUE mentor of mine who said that if my goal was tech, I might as well tackle doubles and drysuit together rather than drysuit first, then doubles. After the primer course, I went out and practiced and practiced for a couple of years, interspersing the practice with some coaching sessions from GUE instructors, before attaining the "tech upgrade" to my Fundies rec pass.
I had a difficult time getting up to tech-level performance in the doubles and drysuit combo, and sometimes I wonder whether I might have done better had I learned to dive a drysuit first, THEN gotten into doubles. But this is just hindsight speculation, and there is no way for me to know. And the bottom line is the order doesn't matter so much. What matters is practice, persistence and all that stuff, because you'll get to your goal soon enough by whichever path. By the way, don't be discouraged at my mention of "a couple of years" of practicing skills before getting to tech level; I am probably on the less-talented end of the bell curve.
As you seem to be aware, a consideration is that you want to get the most out of your Fundies course that you can--not be so burdened by unfamiliar gear that it interferes with your ability to absorb the really fundamental stuff about the GUE system. The fundamental stuff is the same regardless of what gear configuration you're taking Fundies in, so you might even consider taking Fundies in a drysuit and single tank. That way, you would be exposed to the GUE system sooner rather than later and maybe get more out of the course. As I mentioned, I took my original Fundies course with a single tank and wetsuit--a configuration that I had been diving in for 10+ years. I believe being comfortable in that configuration enabled me to get more out of the course.
I observed another Fundies class in which one of the students was apparently not very comfortable with his drysuit and doubles and canister light, and he did not do well. He was really struggling. Maybe if he had spent many hours diving on his own in that configuration before taking Fundies he would have done better, but on the other hand, maybe he would have developed bad habits by diving so much on his own, and he would have had to concentrate in Fundies on breaking those habits. Who knows.
I see you are in Asheville, so you could come down to Florida and do Fundies in the springs. Have you had a chat with any GUE instructors about your goals? Kyle Harmon or Meredith Tanguay are two I know would be glad to spend some time talking with a diver about how to start on their journey. I have never heard of an instructor who would not make time to talk with someone in your position.
In summary, whichever approach you decide, it won't be the wrong decision, because there are instructors and mentors to help you reach your goal no matter what angle you begin your approach from. I believe it's more of an individual thing as to what gear to learn in what order. If you want to get familiar with a drysuit, then add the doubles and get familiar with that combo, and THEN go for Fundies in the full gear configuration--doubles, drysuit, primary light-- you'll do fine. Maybe you won't get a tech pass the first time around, but you'll do fine and learn plenty. Regardless of in what order you tackle the gear, you WILL get there. Talk with an instructor!
