Some recent ocean modelling studies are reviewed which illustrate the ways in which dynamic ocean circulation models can be used to advise on the optimum deployment of, and help analyse the data from, future satellite altimeters for studies of ocean dynamics. At the time of the launch of Seasat the ocean modelling community were unaware of the promise of altimetry. It is a tribute to the enormous success of the Seasat mission that now, ten years on, the modelling community eagerly awaits the launch of a new generation of altimeters.