I think now is the best time. It's still well ahead of any serious adoption and already usable in many ways. You can set up the node almost for free (raspberry pi parts) and learn basics as you go. I seriously think that it's the best time to get immersed in this topic.

Shameless plug, here is video that shows the process of setting up the node: https://youtu.be/77BBQWg1n8w