Kieran Dowling hails from Inverness, the biggest little city in Scotland. This, the main town in the Highlands, is sandwiched between Loch Ness and the North Sea surrounded by stunning cinematic countryside and the occasional stone castle. Kieran reluctantly left Inverness for University. Fortunately he went all in with surfing and the wanderlust that comes with a life dedicated to the Sport of Kings.
“I got into surfing when I was at university,” said Kieran. “I did some traveling in my summers, went to Spain, spent a lot of time there on the north coast, and decided that after that I would take every opportunity I could to surf.”
Those opportunities included coaching stints in New Zealand and Costa Rica. After several years abroad, Kieran returned to Scotland and found himself back just as Lost Shore was opening.
“I came home at the perfect time when the wave pool was opening up,” he said. “I’m able to do a job where I can still get a lot of surfing in and still be at home at the same time. It’s really great.”
At Lost Shore, Kieran holds more than just a coaching role. Along with teaching lessons, he handles operational logistics.
“I coordinate our daily operations in terms of making our schedule, doing our daily rotas, managing equipment, and other tasks for getting preparations ready for lessons,” he said.
His certifications include an ISA Level 1 and beach lifeguard qualifications, ensuring that his technical foundation matches the demands of his position.
Involvement with the Wave Project
A significant part of Kieran’s work involves coaching for the Wave Project, a surf therapy initiative that supports young people who are neurodivergent or experiencing social challenges. The program runs regularly at Lost Shore, with Kieran leading multiple weekly sessions.
“They come in a couple of times a week. We’ve had three full blocks that finished this week, and I’ve been on two of them every week,” he added. “Working with this group has just been a whole heap of fun.”
The sessions provide structure and consistency for kids referred to the program.
“Maybe they have certain lifestyle circumstances that they’ve been recommended to get involved in a social project like the Wave Project,” Kieran explained. “It’s a positive community where kids can be active and have a space where they can feel safe and push themselves, learn new things, and meet new people.”
Kieran points to the liberating effect of the water as to how surfing specifically helps the participants.
“Being in the water is a really liberating experience for a lot of them. Sometimes people aren’t very used to it, and they just enjoy floating around. The achievement of actually catching a wave, whether you’re standing up or not, is powerful. You see people who thought surfing looked like some sort of magic trick actually doing it themselves after some coaching.”
Teaching Philosophy and Daily Rhythm
The coaching framework at Lost Shore reflects a collective approach developed by the surf team.
“Lee (Wood) led our surf operations team from the beginning. He’s been running a surf school in Ireland for sixteen years,” Kieran said. “He’s developed a framework, which is his kind of philosophy, that he’s essentially taught us how to roll out.”
This structure helps create consistency across lessons, whether someone is new to surfing or building on existing skills. Kieran sees the value in dryland drills, clear progression, and repeatable routines, especially when working with groups of varying ability.
On weekends, holidays and during summer, demand can really spike.
“We have almost fully booked lessons for every slot, which is amazing,” he said. “Sometimes up to fifty people plus in one beginner slot. And in general, we’re rostering on more people, having quite a lot more volume of people coming through the door every couple of hours.”
Focus on Quality and Community
Despite the increase in volume, maintaining quality remains central to Lost Shore’s use of the lagoon.
“We’re getting more and more comfortable with cycling through equipment quicker, fine-tuning our systems day to day,” he said. “But we are still keeping the quality of lessons high.”
Even with the operational demands, it’s the impact of surf coaching—particularly through programs like the Wave Project—that keeps Kieran grounded in the work.
“It’s always really cool to see the beaming smiles of people who’ve gone through a task like that after the practice,” he said. “Even just meeting other people who are learning the new skill at the same time, forming that little community. It’s amazing to witness.”
