Brooklyn Kayak Company 12.0 Flipper Drive – Honest Review After 3 Uses

Brooklyn Kayak Company 12.0 Flipper Drive – Honest Review After 3 Uses

I recently purchased the Brooklyn Kayak Company 12.0 Single Pedal Kayak (Flipper Drive) – product link here. After taking it out on the water just three times, totaling about five hours of use, I can confidently say this kayak has been one of the most disappointing purchases I’ve ever made.

Let me break down the issues:

• Flipper Drive Failure: The flipper drive system already broke. The locking pin mechanism that adjusts the drive is poorly designed and completely undermines the integrity of the entire drive system. It simply cannot handle anything close to its claimed capacity.
• Drive Hold-Down Clips: These clips are a joke. They are made of cheap plastic, and the design is so flawed that I wouldn’t be surprised if the blueprint was sketched out in crayon. One broke mid-use, leaving me stranded on the water.
• Weight Rating Misleading: I’m 6'2", 260 lbs—well under the advertised 440 lb capacity. Yet the kayak can barely support me without flexing and shifting in ways that make it feel unstable and unsafe. The structural integrity simply isn’t there.
• “Adjustable” Seat – Not Really: The product claims to have an adjustable seat. In reality, only the backrest moves slightly, and even that doesn’t stay in place. I have to stop every 10 minutes to re-tighten it because the clips are so cheap they constantly loosen.
• Build Quality: The plastic material feels brittle and thin. In all honesty, the hull quality is comparable to an entry-level Lifetime kayak you'd find at Walmart, not something that costs over $1,000. It scratches easily, flexes under modest pressure, and feels hollow.
• Lack of Quality Control: It’s clear that these kayaks are drop-shipped from China with little to no quality control. There’s no evidence of inspection or proper assembly. Components come misaligned or loosely fitted, and key stress points are clearly overlooked in both materials and design.

I had high hopes for this kayak based on the product description and marketing. I expected a solid mid-range pedal kayak that could handle lake and bay use. Instead, I’ve lost a season of kayaking and confidence in a product that can’t even hold up for five hours of use under normal conditions.

I’ve contacted the company, and the response so far has been disappointing—downplaying the issues and offering no real solution.

If you're considering buying this kayak, don’t. There are far better options on the market, especially from brands with real reputations and legitimate user feedback. I should have trusted my gut when I noticed the lack of detailed reviews and performance videos online.

I'll be posting a detailed video review so others can see exactly what I experienced. This kind of failure and lack of accountability shouldn’t happen—especially from a company that brands itself as family-run and U.S.-based.