A trio of Halifax swimmers successfully crossed the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Sunday to raise money for childrens' charities.

Chris Dobbin, Todd McDonald and Peter McCormick — who call themselves Men In Suits — swam across the 13-kilometre stretch of water Sunday morning, staying close to the Confederation Bridge.

They were accompanied on the swim by a team of lifeguards, and greeted by family and friends when they arrived on the Island at Borden-Carleton.

Dobbin said they raised more than $45,000.

"We all feel very happy and very grateful for the people who have donated to the cause the past number of weeks. I think in total we've raised over $45,000," he said.

Three Halifax men come out of the water of the Northumberland Stait at Borden-Carleton, P.E.I. after swimming from New Brunswick. (Patrick Faller/CBC)McCormick was the first to put his feet on Prince Edward Island with a time of five hours and 20 minutes.

"It was actually great. When we woke up this morning we were actually talking that it might not go because they were calling for gale force winds here in the Northumberland Strait later today," McCormick said.

"So we were kind of freaking out about that, and it wasn't going to get any better for the next couple of days. So we went down to the beach with the boat and everything and said: 'You know, we're here, let's go.' "

McCormick said there was a bit of wind, but it was at their back and it helped them to swim across more quickly.

It took Dobbin, who said he isn't a professional swimmer, about six hours to complete the crossing.

McDonald, 36, and McCormick, 53, organized the swim to help raise money for a charity that Dobbin, 37, set up.

Some of the money raised will go to The Jack in the Clouds Foundation for Kids, a charity established in memory of Dobbin's five-year-old son, Jack, who died of the flu last February.

They will also donate to pediatric cancer research.