The mother of one of three Northland friends who have been out of contact since last week's Indonesian tsunami says the men have sometimes not called home for weeks.
Ben Gavin-Young and his friends David Machin and Ryan Irissarri, all from Kerikeri, have been sailing and surfing off Sumatra for several months.
They haven't been heard from since making contact the day before a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit off the west-coast of Sumatra on 25 October.
Cheryl Gavin-Young told Morning Report that while she is worried for their safety, there have been instances where the men haven't been in contact with home for up to four weeks.
Ms Gavin-Young also says when they last made contact they were some distance away from the islands worst hit by the tsunami.
On Wednesday, Ryan Irrisarri's mother Joanie Irrissari also said the trio were well north of the worst-affected area when the quake struck, and she's confident they will be all right.
