Hi DABY,
Post #2 here has links to posts that include the better options near Mechanicsburg, PA as well as others that are further east and west of you.
Water as you know has a somewhat unique feel but softer latex may have some of the same qualities (possibly with a wool layer on top) and would probably come closest to the “floating” feel that you are used to but of course each person’s perceptions may be different. A forum search on “waterbed” you can just click this) will bring up other posts by people who are used to sleeping on waterbeds of various types and what they were considering. Memory foam would probably be my second choice coming from awaterbed even though it has less resilience it does allow you to sink in more.
I think the simplest approach is outlined in this post which has a step by step process that IMO will give you the best odds of ending up with a good quality and value mattress that “matches” your own unique needs and preferences. If you want a single statement as a guideline it would be something along the lines of …
“a mattress is only as good as its construction and the materials that are inside it so make sure you know what they are and only shop at places that can tell you”
and if you wanted a second it would be something along the lines of …
“each person is unique so make sure that you trust your own personal testing for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) more than any theory or other people’s opinions”.
Yes … these are both among the mattresses (along with most other major brands) that the guidelines mentioned here (and linked in the earlier post I mentioned) suggest avoiding.
Hope this helps
Phoenix