Customization Advice Needed

I recently bought an Epic v8 pro but realize that I am very uncomfortable in it because my left leg is 1/2 in shorter than my right leg. Aside from gluing pads on the left footplate and brace to compensate for this difference, what else can I do to make sure I have the proper fit? I am 5 feet 2 in tall, and I never feel that either of my heels is sitting properly to get the power drive I need. I would greatly appreciate detailed instructions that I could pass on to a friend, who could make the customizations. 

So just to clarify, are you saying that both legs are too short to press properly against the footplate?  Or rather, that the uneven leg length makes it feel like neither leg can press properly, even though your legs are long enough to reach?

If your heels don't feel like you are getting the correct drive or pressure I would adjust the leg length. You either have your legs too straight or knees to bent. You then need to have the pedals at the right angle. Ideally they should be in a straight line with the foot plate. If not you tend to take too much pressure on your forefoot and your heels don't contact properly. As for the leg length, I once borrowed a Fenn Elite owned by an elite paddler and he had a thong glued to one side of the heel plate. Simple but effective and in 2 months time when you decide to sell the boat it isn't buggered up for the next owner. 

Don't know if this could help your situation, but, I padded my seat up about an inch or more and padded the back of the seat similarly. This moved me forward in the seat and I sit much higher. less stable but more comfortable and get on runs a little better.
So basically I'm suggesting modifying your seat can have some advantages and may put you closer to your pedals.
I'm guessing you will still have to modify your pedals as well.
Good luck!

Sorry it's taken me a little bit to respond: my browser seems to have some trouble with this site. Anyway, I am tall enough to reach the foot plate, but never feel as though I have enough power to drive through my heel. I think that is due to the difference in my leg length, and what is also causing my back some discomfort. 

What do you mean by thong? What would I look for in a store? And what kind of glue is good enough for anything (like foam) that I use to build on to the plate that is durable but reversible?  Thanks so much.

Thanks so much! This is my thinking exactly: as a sea kayaker, I'm used to having contact with the back band and the foot brace, which allows me to drive power through my heel without feeling as though I'm constantly slipping out. I'm thinking of piling skwoosh pads as needed, since the gel pad works best in my sea kayak, and which alleviates my sciatica. What did you use for padding the seat and also the glue?

If the foot plate in a V8P is anything like one in a V7, you could probably just fixate it in the uneven length position. I often struggle with in my V7 when I disengage the pins, move the plate and one pin pops in sooner than the other resulting in unequal leg length. I wonder if you can do just that?

I am not an experienced surfskier but I am not sure you need much contact with the back of the bucket. It may inhibit your rotation, the energy you use to jam your tailbone into the back is a wasted energy and may cause rubbing. It's not like a sea kayak, you don't need that kind of contact at the back.
I also discovered that padding the bucket may create uncontrollable pressure points that are not otherwise present.

I would start with figuring out the correct length for both legs and looking at technique.

One issue could be the location of the hump in relation to your shorter leg length. I'm short as well and had a problem with a Fenn XT where the hump was hitting the top of my calfs not allowing any extension. Not wanting to pad the seat forward, I found a better fitting boat. The new boats seem to have lower humps to help with this issue.

The other easy fix is to buy some Sea Deck type of material and attach it to one side of the footplate. Think puts this material on their plates, and it is easily sourced through Amazon...which you can cut to size yourself. Something on the lines of what surfboards and paddle boards use.

SpaceSputnik wrote: If the foot plate in a V8P is anything like one in a V7, you could probably just fixate it in the uneven length position. I often struggle with in my V7 when I disengage the pins, move the plate and one pin pops in sooner than the other resulting in unequal leg length. I wonder if you can do just that?

This is probably not a bad  idea. I was in this position for a while with my swordfish before I realized what the problem was. It made me feel like I had one leg shorter than the other and significantly affected leg drive and rotation.

fThe footplates on the V8 Pro and V7 are basically the same.

For my seat pads I use closed cell neoprene foam material like you see for a backpacking sleep pad. I glue layers together to get the thickness I want with a more permanent high performance spray contact adhesive. I glue the pads to my ski with the lowest performance less permanent adhesive. The high performance glue is almost impossible to remove later. The pads can be peeled off the ski intact with the low performance glue. And as far as affecting rotation or comfort, my pads are replicated after the ones I have seen elite paddlers like Dawid Mocke using at the 
U.S. Surfski Championships.

This is an interesting topic and good to get some advice from experienced paddlers.
It raises a few issues and questions for me which I hope doesn't upset anyone.
First, a thong in most countries is ladies underwear featuring a very narrow section at the back which is often not entirely visible. In Australia it is the common name for a jandal.......(which is kiwi for a flip-flop).
Second, is it possible that the V8 pro bucket is just not that comfy for you. I'm fairly light around the backside (no speculating about the visibility of my thong please!) and am more comfy in a fenn, carbonology, or think bucket which are generally more contoured /less flat than epic or stellar. The hump height and length also possible factors.
Third, a leg length difference of 1/2 inch is pretty common and most people have had a lifetime of adapting to it so that it is usually not relevant to various physical activities. Maybe paddling is an exception and the customisation tips are well worth trying.
The other possibility when you mention sciatica is that you are getting some pelvis obliquity due to spasm in your lower back or asymmetric movement patterns and you should get some core exercises from a physio focusing on just that. This will include plenty of lateral or sideways planking type moves. It's really important to have good posture in the boat so get a paddling instructor to look at that.
Finally, while a leg length difference is common, it can also be over-diagnosed or over-estimated. You could get a second opinion. Sometimes it's better not to focus on it too much.

In regards to sciatica Crabstick I think you are right on. At least that has been my recent experience. Since my neck surgery about a year and a half ago, what I thought was hip pain progressed to sciatica. My GP prescribed physio that I thought could be a waste of time. After research and talking to osteo doc I started physio both self prescribed and professional. In between I saw my pain management doc who with little conversation prescribed an Mri. The MRI basically came back negative and my spine looks surprisingly good. The physio is working wonders and the best guess is I have Piriformis syndrome. Funny though doesn't seem to bother me while paddling. The worst part is it keeps me up night. (My neck surgery has healed well. still have messed up neck though. Too many miles paddling a surfboard.) 

Here's a picture of my seat padding. BTW I am also having great results with my sciatica physical therapy. Apparently my lower back isn't the issue. Guessing it is piriformis syndrome.

 

I have seen some posts or references within in posts on here regarding leg differential and there was a nice picture of an adjusted foot plate but i
cant find it again or remember the names involved. But worth checking for.

Definately get that sorted as close as possible. I have found surfski more sensitive to the leg difference than rowing.
Check if you have any tight muscles in hips/pelvis and hamstrings/calfs and ankles. (I get issues in these areas).
I have only just started so i havent set up anything permanent yet regarding the foot plate.....i will though as i think i need to get more accurate than just a thong/flip flop/jangle.

Dont know anything about the V8 or much about technique yet.