In a previous paper we point out deficiencies in our Geosat results for the western tropical Pacific (130 ¿E to 160 ¿E), where less than half of the sea level signal amplitude was recovered. The suspected cause was the quadratic orbit error model, which, together with the relatively short arcs used, resulted in severe signal damping. (Over most of the Pacific, where long arcs were available, this process removed an average of only 10% of the ocean signal.) We have since reprocessed the first 2.5 years of Geosat data for the western region using longer arcs extending into the southern ocean together with a linear orbit error model. Dramatic improvement in the sea level time series was obtained over most of the area, with approximately 90% of the sea level variability recovered, although continued signal damping was still noted in the extreme west. These results confirm our hypothesis with regard to orbit error and at the same time suggest that other error sources such as water vapor were much less significant. These new sea level records provide an improved description of the western Pacific prior to and during the 1986--1987 El Ni¿o.