I am in the same boat as you...I have been voicing in the community around SF, now on Tribe...and though I have gotten a lot of women (?um, do they not see my profile as gay), I have not had anyone yet wanting to swim with me. I have been dipping toes, splashing in the water, and sitting on the sidelines as you. Check a couple of my clubs like the 15 association or Citadel, some very nice SF people there that are very accepting and nurturing. Though none have actually given me a try, they do have a lot of decent-good advice.

Interesting subject. I think it depends on how your personal interest in BDSM appears in your life. If there is a special person that brings this interest with Her or Him then ultimately there's no need and no motivation to visit Pro Domme. The other option is whenever this interest grows inside you and there is nobody who could share it with you at the moment. Being alone with all this questions that newbie can have many of us just wonder where interest in BDSM comes from, how can it work in their life and is it real strong need or rather some temporary kink imagination. The simplest test allowing to observe your own emotional reactions in real BDSM situation is visiting Pro Domme.

In transitioning from one to the other: Keep in mind that a pro is doing what you want, how you want it, often. She/he is trying to help you have the experience you say you want, and less trying to have the experience s/he would personally have in an intimate scene with a lover. A non-pro is going to need more negotiation and compromise as they want what they want and you want what you want and you are likely to find that there more work finding a middle ground. Also, a pro often knows alot of technique around what s/he does, whereas a non-pro may not know as much diversity of technique.

A pro is generally not likely to be extremely emotional. A personal partner often is. It's not likely a pro will ever break down and cry if something goes wrong or freak out and freeze or many of the other reactions someone can have if something goes wrong. A pro will also have lots of experience with pacing, whereas a non-pro may have less, just from having played with less people. A pro is used to there being many first time scenes. A non-pro often has less of these, so is less familiar with reading someone quickly without having to communicate throughout the scene. A pro often has a wider range of toys to use and way more clothes to wear, a non-pro may have less variety (unless you are someone who likes to get clothes for the person you play with).

All of these are generalizations, so please take them as such.