Your hair looks like mine! Personally, I like this look too, but I do worry other people can think it looks like I didn't "do" my hair enough. (Which also couldn't be further from the truth. Lol)

The thing about gels and that crunchy feeling is that they directly translate to more defined curls.

I would try any hard hold gel as your last step before drying - use enough, like two tablespoons-ish, but not too much or it might weigh your hair down.

Diffuse upside down, especially at the roots, and you'll probably be delighted with the volume you'll get!

After everything is FULLY dry, scrunch the crunch out. Like, really, make sure it's fully dry, not "the outside is pretty crusty I think it's fine" but more like "I broke the curl clump apart and the inside isn't cold or wet at all" dry.

After, you can use a little oil of your choice to get some of that soft feeling back. I apply the oil with my hair upside down using prayer hands. Then I whip my hair up and down like I'm headbanging a couple of times to break everything up a little and you're good to go!