The sea level records at the nine island stations located in the western and central equatorial Pacific show trends for the period 1974--1975 to 1981 which are well hindcasted by the linear numerical model of Busalacchi and O'Brien forced by the observed ship winds. The spatial pattern of these trends suggests that the western equatorial Pacific was losing water while the central equatorial Pacific was gaining water. These trends appear to be due to the significant weakening of the near-equatorial easterly trades in the central Pacific which took place throughout the period 1974--1981. The trend reversal observed in 1977--1978 in sea level at the island stations located south of the equator (Rabaul and Honiara) appear to be due to a similar trend reversal in the strength of the large-scale southeast trades. ¿American Geophysical Union 1987