Bouteiller said they had been working as fruit pickers and travelling around the country.
He said his friend was last seen wearing a bright hoodie with "Periples" written on the front, under a dark jacket. "Periples" is the French word for journeys.
The man's height is 1.7m.
Zé Na, another of the man's friends, said she knew the search teams were doing their best.
"All his friends who were at the lake with him felt the assistance and kindness this country is known for."
Members of the Coastguard, Police Search and Rescue, and volunteers from Land Search and Rescue yesterday began their third day of the search, police said in a statement yesterday.
The inflatable kayak was found on Tuesday afternoon near the eastern shores of Lake Rotorua, north of the State Highways 33 and 30 intersection.
This allowed police to narrow the search to an area to the east of Mokoia Island.
The tourist was reported overdue on Monday afternoon, and it is believed he was paddling in the Mokoia Island area.
Police still want to hear from anyone who may have seen the man or his kayak, likely at the northern end of the lake, on Monday afternoon.