I guess I am confused. Why can't you stand up in it now?

My oldest son has an 16' aluminum V-Hull row-boat (dinghy), and we stand up in it all the time. I even taught him how to dive (skin and SCUBA) from it. Why do you need a high-maintenance plywood floor?

Is yours a dinghy (standard V-Hull row-boat), or something else, like a canoe? I've even stood up in canoes with no trouble. The only thing I haven't been able to stand up in has been an Inflatable (sans floor-boards).

I must be missing something.