chewitt, If your wanting to dive lake erie, or wrecks on the eastcoast, find a Iantd or tdi shop or school so you can start towards the diving in your area.
Contact the local diveclub to find a dive partner close to you unless you have one, as the local diver will teach you to dive the conditions that you dive in.
Walters essay above is the reality of the things to be aware of.
If your warm water just go to destination, get certified and dive dive dive, like cathy church says, do you have to collect a merit badge, or do you want learn different things of diving on your own.
You can learn everything on this board about diving, yet scubaboard can't certify ya.
Words of caution, BIGFAMEONE, hit this board, with the same questions, A local board member told him to come over and join there board,
He had told his story, asked questions, with all kinds of problems trying to get certified, it took him several months to get certified.
His last post was what a bad experience he had with adding a third new diver for a dive.
BIGFAMEONE died the next day, dive 9 was it for him, the funny thing is an instructor (a medic) went over a dive plan with him and his dive buddy(a fireman), an ER doctor was there also, A problem occured Bigfameone made to the surface and died.
Dive into this underwaterworld slowly on every dive, and go little deeper and longer until you are comfortable, only you can learn to dive, the cert and instructor are there to give a card so you can get air, go on dive charters etc.
Happy Diving