Britney Spears Kisses Sam Asghari Lookalike on a Boat

9:49 AM PT -- Sources close to Britney tell TMZ that the guy she was kissing is her guard / helper and they are just friends. The kisses were just in fun.

Well, look what Britney Spears has under the tree this year ... a new dude who looks a lot like her old one, ex-husband Sam Asghari.

Brit and the mystery man enjoyed a fun day off the California coast ... Tuesday night she posted a video of her and Sam 2.0 hanging out on a boat.

Britney was rocking a bikini, as per usual, but it looked way more appropriate in the nautical setting than her living room. She did give the guy a few kisses on the cheek, but no word on if this is a new romantic interest ... or just a friend with a boat.

She didn't include any cryptic hints in her caption about the guy -- just the emojis 😉😉💅🏻👠👠 -- but we're working on it.

To be fair to Brit's ex, the skipper here isn't exactly a doppelganger -- Sam is a model, after all -- but this guy does have the chiseled jawline and similar facial hair. Too close to be a coincidence is all were saying.

Anyway, it's been more than 2 years since Britney and Sam split up, and she just might have that ol' saying in mind -- any port in a storm.