I was in the exact same situation. I have been riding the response for the last 10 years and felt really comfortable with it. Gone through 5 of them and unfortunately broke mine a week ago, and couldn't find another one anywhere that was my size. Like you, most boards I get on now just feel awkward now.
I was able to demo a Hyperlite Vagabond, Slingshot Whip, and the Liquid Force Timba this past week.
The vagabond is probably not what you are looking for as there is no flex, but the board generally sounds like it was catered to my style of riding, so I gave it a try. It does pop very well compared to the response and lands somewhat soft. I felt it didn't release as easy off the wake though. It carves super nice, is fun for slashing, and holds speed just as good as the response, but just isn't as playful and feels a touch more locked in when approaching the wake.
The slingshot whip had the most similar flex to the response, but it didn't feel the same at all to me on my first ride. The tips seem a bit wider and make the board feel a little heavy when spinning and also doesn't release off the wake the same. This is the most similar board in the slingshot line, but it didn't feel that similar to me.
The liquid force timba is a bit softer than the response, but out of these 3 boards, it felt the most similar to a response to me. It is very playful, still pops decently, and releases off the wake in the same way the response does. I was able to land all my tricks on this board on my first set, so it generally felt mostly the same to me and is probably my next board.
Hope this helps.
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