A group of rescued Australian surfers have shared further details of their terrifying tale of survival in a first public address.
Elliot Foote, his partner Steph Weisse and their friends Jordan Short and Will Teagle spent 36 hours floating at sea on surfboards off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province before rescuers found them on Tuesday.
In a video shared by The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Foote said the group were not always confident they would be rescued but remained united regardless.
"There were some moments out there when we were all quite nervous. We didn't quite know what the outcome was going (to be)," the 30-year-old said.
"(But I) couldn't be happier to have these three with me. They're all so strong and every single moment they just knew what to do.
"We just took charge and followed each other and there was no arguments ever, we were just strong as a unit."
Mr Foote thanked the Australian and Indonesian governments for their co-operation, and the friends who would not stop searching.
"We're really happy to be back on land now - dry, hydrated, fed, back with our friends," he said.
The surfers also asked media to respect their privacy as they had been rescued barely more than a day ago and hoped the last missing member of the trip would be found.
"We just want to recover, it's been a crazy 37 hours," Mr Foote said.
"Now our thoughts are with the Indonesian family and friends of the missing one who's still out there because it's hard to think about."
The rescue came after Mr Foote broke away from the group in search of help, battling pouring rain, a strong current and hallucinations.
In footage shot shortly after his rescue, he described seeing his girlfriend and mates standing on a little island nearby.
"I was thinking 'oh there are my mates' ... they're waving and saying 'goodo'," Mr Foote said.
"I'm paddling to that island and I'm not making any ground.
"I'm like 'What the hell'."
His father Peter later recounted receiving a message from Elliot that simply read: "Hi dad, I'm alive."
The relieved dad said he wanted the group to enjoy their holiday and finish the rest of the trip.
"If the surf is great and the weather has come good and they are having a great time with their best mates, there is no point in him coming home," he told reporters.
"They are there for another eight days. Hopefully, they will feed them up and he will be back out there enjoying it. He has a great story to tell."
The search continues for a missing Indonesian crew member after two others were confirmed to have been found.
The captain of the boat, Yunardi Ardi, told the ABC his boat capsized after being hit by big waves from the back and side.
"The foreigners started paddling, we the Indonesians stayed floating, my missing friend looked weak as he was carried by a wave to the east towards Singkil," Mr Ardi said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had contacted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to express thanks for the search and rescue efforts.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia's thoughts were with the family of the missing crew member.
The group of Australians had been in the Banyak Islands off Sumatra to celebrate Mr Foote's 30th birthday.
When tossed into the ocean, the quartet were crossing from Nias to Pinang Island, a surf retreat.
Another boat, with eight of Mr Foote's mates, sought shelter at a small island midway before reaching Pinang and raising the alarm.
