There　has　been　considerable　interest　in　the　past　few　years　in　addressing　some　of　the　long-term　technical　difficulties　associated　with　retrieving　valid　measurements　from　satellite　altimeters　in　coastal　areas,　where　high　levels　of　human　activities　are　putting　increasing　demand　for　information　about　sea　level,　wind　and　wave　conditions.　Developments　of　altimeter　waveform　retracking　techniques,　together　with　the　now-established　practice　of　giving　users　access　to　altimeter　waveform　data,　has　led　to　rapid　progress　in　our　understanding　of　the　challenges　posed　by　waveform　shapes　in　the　vicinity　of　land.　In　this　chapter,　we　present　observational　evidence　of　the　huge　diversity　and　complexity　of　waveforms　seen　by　contemporary　altimeters　in　coastal　areas.　We　proceed　with　a　review　of　waveform　retracking　methods,　examining　first　empirical　methods,　then　so-called　physically-based　methods,　including　discussion　of　some　of　their　implementation　intricacies.　We　proceed　with　providing　examples　of　the　application　of　waveform　retracking　methods　to　coastal　altimeter　waveforms　in　coastal　regions　around　the　world.　Finally,　we　explore　some　of　the　new　ideas　on　how　it　may　be　possible　to　exploit　prior　knowledge,　for　example　about　the　statistics　or　the　along-track　evolution　of　ocean　properties　in　the　coastal　domain,　to　improve　the　estimation　of　geophysical　parameters.　Innovative　schemes,　such　as　iterative　retracking　or　simultaneous　batch　retracking,　are　discussed　as　new　ways　to　yield　unbiased　parameter　estimation　for　land-contaminated　waveforms　much　closer　to　the　land/water　interface　than　is　currently　possible.　©　2011　Springer-Verlag　Berlin　Heidelberg.