We present a theory of spin waves in a noncondensed gas of spin-1 bosons and provide both analytic calculations of the linear theory and full numerical simulations of the nonlinear response. We highlight the role of spin-dependent contact interactions in the dynamics of a thermal gas. Although these interactions are small compared to the thermal energy, they set the scale for low-energy, long-wavelength spin waves. In particular, we find that the polar state of Rb87 is unstable to collisional mixing of magnetic sublevels even in the normal state. We augment our analytic calculations by providing full numerical simulations of a trapped gas, explicitly demonstrating this instability. Further, we show that for strong antiferromagnetic interactions, the polar gas is unstable. Finally, we explore coherent population dynamics in a collisionless transversely polarized gas. © 2010 The American Physical Society.