Daniel Mercier

Born the 31st May 1931 in Clamart in the suburbs of Paris. In his youth he had an unrequited desire to navigate. During this period after the 11 WW it was difficult to realize his dream. At 20 years old, he left Paris for Switzerland, where he became interested in educating and animating youth, doing research on the different pedagogic educational methods.
1947 First dive in Antibes - Juan -les – Pins
1961 He settles in Antibes and becomes immediately interested in the sea, his boyhood dream. He started diving the same year.
1963 Passes his first diving certification.
1966 Founded the ‘Spondyle Club’, which grew into one of the larges French Clubs, of which he still presides over.
1967 Becomes state instructor for underwater diving. Today, he is 3rd state degree, the highest national level.
1968 - 1984 President of the Cote D'Azur regional education commission and National Instructor, member of the nation and International College.
1973 Founded the National Association for diving Instructors ‘Les Guides de la Mer’, a professional syndicated association, of which today he is Honorary-founding President carrying on the activities of the ‘Guides de la Mer’ in the seas and oceans of the world.
1974 With the ‘Spondyle Club’ team, he founded the ‘World Festival of Underwater Images’, the goal being to promote the underwater world, to stimulate new images and to make of this event a meeting place for everyone who feels ‘passionately’ about the sea. Daniel is President and Organizer.
1975 President of the ‘Cote D’Azur committee of the French Federation of Studies and Underwater Sports.
1976 National Vice President of this Federation during 4 years.
1985-1992 Founded and organized the Festival of the Mountains and images in Antibes, (taking the example of the Underwater Film Festival), this activity he pratised with a great interest during his Swiss ‘period’.
1991 Stimulates the creation of an European organization bringing together professionals Instructors of the Underwater Diving World, agreed to preside, this is how the C.E.D.I.P was born (European Committee of Professional Diving Instructors) the administration services are in Antibes and the head office in Anvers.
1992 Is honored to receive the ‘Trident d’Or’, becoming a member of the International Academy of Science and Techniques Subaquatiques of Ustica. Receives the Gold Medal for Youth and Sports.
1993 Receives the ‘Tauchpionierpreis’ that honors the diving pioneers in Germanic countries. This was presented to him on Gose Austria on September 1993. He is the 2nd Frenchman to receive this prize; the first went to Commander Philippe Taillez.
1995 Was elected ‘Man of the Year’ in the Diving domain by the Israeli magazine YAM.
2001 Creator of the foundation ‘Festival of World Underwater Images’ of which he is the superintendent.
2002 Honorary Medal of the National Federation of volunteers of Joinvillias given by the Comity Provence-Cote d’Azur-Corse-Monaco.
2003 Knight of the order of Maritime Merit.
2005 Received the award ‘The Historical Diving Society Hans Hass Diving to Adventure’, awarded by the Historical Diving Society USA, the 3rd to receive the prize.
He is still the President of the World Festival of Image and Underwater and of the CEDIP.

Today Daniel is preoccupied in finding solutions to enable the continuity of his different creations/foundations, in particular the World Underwater Film Festival and Underwater Images, which is a major event in the diving world.

His slogan: Diving, the school of life.