Volunteers at Hunstanton RNLI were paged just before 1.40pm, after being tasked by HM Coastguard.
They quickly launched fast inshore lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk into a rising tide, with a strong southerly wind gusting to Force 8 (40mph).
The craft with four on board made her way north from her station, before finding a kite around half a mile from the shoreline without its owner, who it transpired had made their way to safety.
RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Mike Gould said: 'It was a shout with good intentions. The surfer had pulled his safety release and the kite had blown out to sea.
'They made themselves known to the Coastguard at the earliest opportunity but at the same time there were reports from members of the public of someone in difficulty on a kite.'
The crew retrieved the kite to ensure there were no people in the water and it matched the one reported by the public.
Coastguards and crew used a technique called 'conning-on', where coastguard observing from a high area of the cliffs were able to see the object in the water and guide the lifeboat towards it.
A lifeboat crew is working at sea level without the visual advantage of height so their view of a rescue scene can be limited.
Search and rescue partners use a simulated clock face to pass instructions to help them quickly locate a casualty.
The crew checked on another surfer to ensure they were safe, before returning to station just after 3pm.
The 'shout' came just over an hour after the lifeboat had been cleaned down, checked and refuelled following one of the station's regular Sunday exercises, which saw the crew honing navigation and anchoring skills.
RNLI Picture captions
Picture of RNLI lifeboat Spirit of West Norfolk launching can be downloaded. Please credit: RNLI/Chris Bishop.
Notes to Editors
Hunstanton is one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Norfolk, whose volunteers operate the fast inshore lifeboat
Spirit of West Norfolk and the search and rescue hovercraft Hunstanton Flyer.
They cover The Wash, a tidal estuary stretching for more than 100 square miles fed by five main rivers, along with parts of the north Norfolk coastline.
Like more than 230 RNLI stations around the coast of the UK and Ireland, its lifesaving work is funded entirely by the generosity of those who donate towards the charity that saves lives at sea.
RNLI Media Contacts
For more information call Chris Bishop, Hunstanton RNLI volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07584 147219 or Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, North and East on 07824 518641 or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
