Learn Spanish (Latin America): El buzo termina la inmersión sin descompresión. - The diver finishes the dive without decompression.

If we wanted to say 'without it' instead of 'without decompression', could we use the neuter pronoun ello since decompression is an abstract concept?

No, you would use ella (sin ella). Even though decompression might feel like an abstract concept, the word descompresión is a specific feminine noun. The neuter pronoun ello is only used to refer back to entire ideas, situations, or previous clauses—never to specific nouns, regardless of whether those nouns represent physical objects or concepts.

Why is it just sin descompresión and not sin la descompresión?

In Spanish, the preposition sin (without) is usually followed directly by a singular noun without the definite article (el, la, etc.) when referring to something in a general, unspecific sense. You would generally only add the article if you were modifying the noun to specify a particular instance, like sin la descompresión requerida (without the required decompression).

Could I use the word buceo instead of inmersión here?

Not exactly. While both translate to 'dive' in English, they have different scopes. El buceo refers to the general sport or activity of scuba diving. La inmersión (literally 'immersion') refers to the specific, physical act of going underwater, making it the right word when talking about a single, individual dive.

Is buzo the standard word for a diver across all of Latin America?