Welcome!
Richard Pyle's Learner's guide is better than a beginner's guide because--although it covers the basics--there is definitely stuff in there you would likely not practice in your MOD 1 course, like "dead reckon" loop gas mixing.
You will love the Galapagos! I brought a CCR to the Galapagos in 2005 and was thankful for it every dive, except when filming whale sharks. For that nothing beats a streamlined OC unit. If I only could go back there and dive for months for cheap. Any Ecuadorian's out there have a good-looking sister you want to marry off?
Honey, if you are reading this, I am kidding
