Pilot Shayd Hector from Tingira Heights and passenger Joel Nelson from Belmont, both 23, had to cling to an inflatable air mattress before they were pulled to safety by water police.
They had been flying from Bridport in Tasmania on Monday afternoon to spend the night on Flinders Island before flying home to Newcastle, and police described their survival as "miraculous".
Shayd told his story of survival to Jill Emberson from 1233 ABC Newcastle Mornings. (listen to attached audio)
"We had perfect weather conditions and we planned the flight really well over the last month or so, and we just experienced engine difficulties about 20 nautical miles north of Bridport," Shayd explains.
"We knew that we wasn't going to make it so we just tried our best to put the plane down in the water as best I could.
"It was pretty full-on, I guess, I just tried to concentrate on doing all the right things and not to freak out too much.
"When it did hit, the plane pretty much sort of exploded and flipped on its roof.
"We had the doors open and the seatbelts off as we hit.
"Once we hit we hit we were sort of upside down in the water in the plane still, then we pretty much swam our way out."
Before the crash the men set off their emergency beacon and contacted Air Services Australia, who alerted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Rescue Co-Ordination Centre.
A number of planes and helicopters flew to the area near Waterhouse Island, where they spotted the men floating in choppy seas, clinging to an inflatable mattress.
Shayd and Joel, who were both wearing lifejackets, were winched into a rescue helicopter and were in hospital in Launceston within three hours of the crash.
Aside from hypothermia and some minor scrapes the pair were uninjured, but police say they were extremely lucky to survive the water temperatures of only around 13 degrees.
Shayd says he's currently "a bit spun out" and depressed at losing the ultralight, which he bought a couple of years ago.
He was uninsured and estimates the total loss for the aircraft and the belongings it contained at around $40,000.
The young pilot says he's very thankful to their rescuers, and will now focus on his work as a chef to pay off the ultralight that's now under the waters of Bass Strait.
However his flying days aren't over and he's keen to buy a "bigger, faster and more reliable" plane.
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