Absolute absorption cross sections of the absorption spectrum of the 2 nu(1) band of the HO2 radical in the near-IR region were measured by continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (cw-CRDS) coupled to laser photolysis in the wavelength range 6604-6696 cm(-1) with a resolution better than 0.003 cm(-1). Absolute absorption cross sections were obtained by measuring the decay of the HO2 self-reaction, and they are given for the 100 most intense lines. The most important absorption feature in this wavelength range was found at 6638.20 cm(-1), exhibiting an absorption cross section of sigma = 2.72 x 10(-19) cm(2) at 50 Torr He. Using this absorption line, we obtain a detection limit for the HO2 radical at 50 Torr of 6.5 x 10(10) cm(-3).