I definitely second the notion of waiting a significant amount of time (~a year of sobriety) before venturing into dating.
My ex had broken up with me when I went to rehab. So I had to deal with a breakup right off the bat. I was very lonely at first, but I filled that void by making lots of new friends in AA. I realized two things over the course of my first year:
1. I used relationships kind of like a substance. Instead of dating someone because we were a good fit, relationships were a form of self-validation and escape. I NEEDED someone else to love because I couldn't do it myself.
2. I never had close, intimate, platonic friendships. Sure, I had had lots of people in my life that I called "friends," but I realized they were just surface relationships. These were people I drank and used with. I never let my guard down to build close relationships and let people get to know the REAL me because I feared rejection and betrayal of trust. With my new friends in sobriety who were also sober, I really started to open up. I got to know them and let them get to know me. These are now some of the closest, deepest friendships I've ever had in my life.
So that first year of sobriety was really a learning experience. I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult at times, but it really opened my eyes to who I am as a person and that I could let people in without them hurting me or screwing me over.
When I pushed to date early in sobriety, my sponsor always responded with, "what do you really have to offer anyone at this point? Relationships are a two way street. You are still learning how to live life without substances." He was right. I didn't have much to offer at that point. But by working my program diligently, I became someone who had a lot to offer as a partner.
When I finally started dating, I used online sites. I liked how I could specify upfront that I wasn't a drinker. There was no awkward discussion to have about alcohol with any of my dates because my profile said I don't drink. Maybe it shrank my dating pool, but I eventually met someone who rarely drinks (she isn't in recovery; just doesn't like alcohol). We've been together over 14 months now, and it's been the best, most honest relationship I've ever had. But if she would have seen me when I was drinking or in early sobriety when I was still a mess and learning how to deal with life, she likely wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me.