seating position in a ski

Hi,
I’m new to surfski paddling being more used to flatwater paddling. I got a ‘too good to refuse’ deal on a Knysna Viper last year so I jumped at the chance, but I’ve never had a chance to sit in another ski. When I paddle in it, I find that the back of my calves sit tight against the well of the boat where it slopes down from the seat...therefore I’m not really able to use my legs in the same way as I do in the K1 (ie. my knees cannot move up and down, and my rotation mainly comes from twisting above the waist). Is this normal for a surfski, or is it that my ski is more suitable for longer legged paddlers? I’m only about 1.75m and short legged at that! Also, I’m interested to hear if anyone else paddles the knysna Viper, and what’s the general opinion on it as a racing boat.
Dave

Common problem for shorties.

The one thing that is in favour of a hump, is that you don't have to stomp on the feet like a K1 because the hump quite effectively transmits the paddle power to the boat.
So if you run your legs shorter you can still get rotation and let the hump do a major part in the force transmission.