Before spending all your $$ on equipment it is best to make a decision about training. It will save you $$$ once you actually know what you will need to have in order to successfully complete the program. Otherwise you may have to purchase a piece of equipment again or have purchased something you didn't need in the first place.
Remember, if team diving is what you want to do (ie. GUE or UTD) technical training you will want to have similar tank sizes (for ease of gas panning - sucks when 4 divers show up with dissimilar tanks and you have to calculate the minimum gas and dive time based on he who has the smallest tanks or biggest surface consumption rate
) and equipment as your teammates (and I don't mean same brand I mean similar configuration).
There is a growing GUE community here in the lower mainland and down the Pacific coast. Exciting things are happening all the time with this group. I can not speak for UTD but I have hear or seen no activity from them in over a year. Most of the UTD guys I know have jumped into rebreathers now and no longer dive open circuit or very often. But for either you need to have the basics mastered before they allow you to move on to the technical training parts.
The overriding factor is WHAT DO
YOU WANT TO
DO.
Regardless of the training agency you pick I am certain that they all train as team divers. You will
need to have a like minded buddy to dive technically with. Nowhere have you mentioned that you have a partner to dive with and that you are from Salmon Arm. Who else is diving technically locally? Through what agency? Speak to them. Unless you plan on traveling weekly or bi-weekly to train and practice skills to the coast or wherever else to practice and maintain your skills you are wasting your money. It's not like riding a bike. If you don't practice your skills underwater you lose them or you develop bad habits that can lead to accidents.
Solo diving technically or for that matter recreational diving is strictly
forbidden in the team diving groups as you are reliant on your partner for back-up gas and your gas planning and back up reserves are based on this. They need to be trained in the same emergency procedures as you.
Whatever you decide on remember, nothing under water is worth dying for. Try to have fun and enjoy the experience. Practice, Practice, Practice. Find other like minded divers and work with them. Be safe.
Good Luck! Let us know what you decide to do!