With the PK1 model, manufacturer Severne has designed its own pro model for its figurehead Philip Köster. This has been fitted with a solid plastic plate, which distributes the forces evenly over the entire back area and thus relieves the spine. The plate is firm, but not as hard as some other hard-shell harnesses. Overall, the harness is cut quite generously, so if in doubt you can choose a size smaller - our testers, who were between 175 and 190 metres tall and weighed between 75 and 90 kilos, all chose size M. The low weight of the PK1 is striking, it weighs only 1.40 kilos when dry, and the wet weight of around 1.85 kilos is still lower than many common hip harnesses when dry.
We strapped the Severne PK1 in size M to four different testers for testing. The pressure distribution can be described as successful, the forces that occur are indeed distributed very evenly, resulting in hardly any pressure points. Although the padding is not extremely thick, the harness moulds comfortably to the contours of the body, meaning that the PK1 also scores highly in terms of comfort. Three of our four test subjects rated the wearing comfort as very good, only one tester felt slight pressure points - ideally you should try on the PK1, like any other hard shell harness, in the shop before buying. The fastening mechanism is easy to use: the harness is attached to the hips using an elasticated Velcro strap, and the hook can be quickly and easily snapped into place even with clammy fingers. The hook itself sits on a padded plate, which effectively protects the ribs from injury in the event of skidding or jumps.
Severne PK1 harness - the conclusion:
The PK1 harness combines good back support with a high level of comfort. This makes it suitable for waves as well as longer freeride sessions with large sails. The freedom of movement is also at a high level, only those who are fully committed to freestyle and are looking for a maximally soft and supple harness will not be 100 per cent happy here.
