Kites, which range from 12 to 16 square metres, are easily confused with parachutes and the novel gadget would trigger a barrage of questions from port authorities and other minders.

Merwan still chuckles at such memories: “They just had no clue what it was.”

His friend Ahmed Husnein tells the story of how one windsurfer in the group was detained overnight at the port because security services believed he was making “an escape” with his small board and flashy sail.

“We’d always be chased away by the security guards — wherever we went they would tell us it was a security zone,” said Etaleb.

Husnein snuck his sail into Libya saying it was a floating device for kids.

The main barrier of entry into the sport these days is money, with a full kit costing in the vicinity of $2,000 (1,500 euros), although cheaper second-hand equipment is typically recommended for accident prone beginners.

Wind Friends is trying to strike commercial deals to help subsidise the sport.

With the fall of Kadhafi’s regime last year, the winds have changed and the group is now free to explore the whole Libyan coastline.

The port and the suburb of Garabuli near Tripoli are their mid-week go to spots, while Farwa remains the favourite weekend destination.

“Now we have the chance to go anywhere,” said a jubilant Etaleb, the heart surgeon.