About 15 people got in the water at the first event of the season in Riverton on October 31.
The seasons in North Otago, Dunedin and The Catlins begin next month.
Mr Slee said spring had been wet in Southland.
"There’s a lot of people that have been stuck inside the farm gate for a couple of months."
A break in the weather spurred a decision to start the fifth season of Surfing for Farmers in Southland early, Mr Slee said.
"We’ve had a couple of reasonable days where we could have gone and we thought, ‘oh, we might as well make a start’."
He urged more farmers and growers to attend future events.
"It’s only a couple of hours out of your day and you get to refresh and reset, so it’s time well spent off-farm."
Upcoming southern sessions include Campbell Bay, Kakanui from 6pm on December 4, Kaka Point, Catlins from 5.30pm on December 4 and Brighton Beach, Dunedin from 5.30pm on December 6.
Surfing for Farmers Kaka Point organiser Paul Richardson said wet conditions had made spring "tough going" for South Otago farmers.
He encouraged as many farmers as possible to attend the surfing events this summer.
"You don’t have to be an expert surfer and it gives you a chance to get off farm and not think about it at all and relax with like-minded people."
The Rural Support Trust is a community partner for Surfing for Farmers. Contact the trust on 0800787-254.
