The exhausted pair, who spoke to The Border Mail after landing at Killiecrankie Bay at the northern end of Flinders Island late on Wednesday, admitted they were "a bit battered" after completing the longest open crossing on day three of their paddle.

Mr Baker admitted it was a "really tough" paddle and a couple of times he wondered what he was doing out there.

"For the first two hours it was ideal with a cross wind slightly behind and pushing us along a bit, so for a while we were going over 9km an hour," he said.

"Things became tougher as the swell became less defined and the waters got lumpy ... five hours into the paddle it got quite tricky, we were tired and couldn't see Killiecrankie at all due to fog haze.

"Eventually we saw it, and it was a very welcome sight; we were pretty stuffed when we got there."

Mr Flower, the more experienced of the two paddlers, is nursing "a bad wrist" after battling to keep the boat moving in the rough waters.

"It hasn't been smooth sailing," he said ruefully.

"We were hitting wind waves in front and we did well to stay in the boat.

"We kept up the food and water (at hourly intervals) and then all you have to do is stay in the boat and keep paddling."

Mr Flower and Mr Baker are endeavouring to cross the notorious Bass Strait as part of the Paddle For Survivors campaign, to raise funds for the Albury-Wodonga Winter Solstice and advocacy group Australians For Mental Health.

Conditions look unfavourable for the next few days so the friends will take "a breather and wait for suitable weather".

Mr Baker said there was the chance they could take off sooner and paddle down the coast line on the eastern side to complete the 307-kilometre adventure to Tasmania's mainland.

"We've completed 195 kilometres so we're well past the half-way mark," he said.

Albury solicitor James Sloan, who trained with the pair and set them up with his tracking device that allows supporters to check on their progress (and safe landing), said they had "proved the doomsayers (including me!) wrong".

Describing their "fantastic performance" in an email to friends, Mr Sloan commented: "It only took them 7 hours, 30 minutes which was even faster than I ever predicted."

"They have broken the back of Bass Strait and now have a couple of days along Flinders Island with only Banks Strait to give them any real trouble now," he wrote.