Beach bum: Britney's briefs turned into a pair of 'bum pinchers'

Making waves: Britney and her pal splash around in the surf

Baywatch moment: the pop singer ran into the water to cool off

Since leaving rehab in February, Spears's efforts to revive her career have so far flopped: her mini-comeback tour, which saw her lip-synch a 15-minute set, was largely panned.

Still, she has continued to regularly visit a dance studio and is said to be working on an upcoming album.

On the domestic front, things are not much better: last week she has put her Beverly Hills mansion on the market for ￡3 million - just days after a probe into the safety of her swimming pool.